


The Spider and the Sorcerer

by WIX2



Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Cute, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Father Figures, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Help, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, IronStrange, M/M, Mentor/Protégé, Protective Stephen Strange, Protective Tony Stark, Rescue, Slow Burn, Slow Trust, Support, Team as Family, Tony Being Tony, Tony Feels, Tony Stark/Stephen Strange parenting Peter Parker | Supremefamily | Strange Family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-03
Updated: 2019-01-17
Packaged: 2019-04-18 01:05:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 33
Words: 94,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14201691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WIX2/pseuds/WIX2
Summary: When Peter Parker is badly hurt, he knows he is going to die, until a mysterious man, weirdly named ''Doctor Strange'' comes to the rescue...At that moment, Peter doesn't know that the sorcerer will become a friend, even a father figure.He doesn't know either that later on, his mentor Tony Stark, will become quite interested in Stephen Strange, in every sense of the word...A collection of one-shot ficlets involving Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, and Iron-Man, featuring their friendship and their evolution as a family.





	1. First Meeting

Don't go to this bank, kid. It's dangerous. 

Peter remembered the stern, but fatherly, voice of Mr Stark, and for once, he admitted deep down that Tony was right, he probably shouldn't have disobeyed him, and rushed headlong into danger.

The worst was that he had been so in a hurry, that he got out without his suit built by Tony. He just put an amateur mask on his head to hide his face, and he ran to save citizens from a classic robbery. 

Well, nothing turned out the way it was supposed to. Peter was caught by surprise, and he got thrown of a roof. When he landed, the back of his head hit the ground so brutally that he heard a horrible CRACK, and pain suddenly overwhelmed him. 

He gasped through pain and shock. He felt tears of pain running down his cheeks. He kept blinking, but he still couldn't see correctly, everything was blurry. 

He tried to move, to force his weak limbs to react, to do something, anything, but his body didn't obey and stayed still.

He was laying alone in a street, trapped by his own injury, helpless. This obvious fact hit him hard. His chest burst with agony, as if someone had shoved a metal beam through his ribcage. He knew what it was : It was guilt. A really painful guilt. 

Tony, Aunt May... He was going to abandon them, just because he was too weak to resist, and too stupid not to listen to Tony when he had to. 

It hurt more than the bloody wound on the back of his head. 

Suddenly, he heard rapid footsteps approaching him. Someone knelt near him, and a blurry face appeared just above him. “Hey, kid. It's alright, listen to me, focus on my voice.” A sudden voice commanded. 

This voice was deep, clinical, and, to Peter's surprise, very calm and confident, as if this mysterious man was used to dealing with dying people. 

“Who... t-the hell a-a-are you ?” Peter asked with a shaking voice, a bit panicked. He even tried to pull away from the man, a weak attempt at defense, but solid hands strongly cupped his head to keep it still. 

Not violently, though. Just firmly. “Don't move.”

Even if he wanted to, Peter couldn't even wiggle his toes. He would have probably answered that if he could've talked. Suddenly, he felt that his mask was slowly removed. The man didn't remove it entirely, though, just enough so that Peter's face was clear.

“Let... me g-go...” Peter croaked, panic compressing his heavy chest. 

“Relax, kid. I won't hurt you.” The adult's tone was slow and measured, as if he wanted to calm down a wild animal. 

Peter felt hands running over his limbs, perhaps to check if there were other evident injuries. “Where does it hurt?” The voice asked coldly, with a bit of emergency. 

Peter didn't even realize he was sobbing. His tears clouded his vision, just as the pain overwhelmed his mind, body, and spirit. “H-head...” He managed to pant out. 

He heard the mysterious man grumble. This answer was probably what he feared. 

However, Peter stopped thinking, and he slowly closed his eyes. He felt too tired to keep them open. Right now, he really wanted to sleep, to let the darkness take him...

“No, no, no. Stay with me, kid.”

Peter felt a gentle hand covering his sweating forehead, and he heard the man quickly mumble in a different language. The kid's rational part deduced that was Latin, but he still couldn't understand what this dude was doing to him.

A warm sensation suddenly appeared on his forehead, which traveled within his head, until the precise location of his injury. It wasn't unpleasant, it was even quite the opposite given that he felt the pain slowly reduce, and his thoughts became clearer. 

Peter couldn't help but heave a sigh of relief, and his body relaxed. However, he had no clue about what this man was doing, so it made him feel even more anxious, “No... Stop...” He tried to sound threatening, but it was just a weak and pathetic protest. Almost a begging one.

“Kid, it's OK.” The man firmly whispered, but this time, he was sounding softer than before. Less... robotic, perhaps. 

Peter's hissing breathing showed that he was still afraid, so the deep voice, quiet and hypnotic, continued to calm him down. “I mean you no harm. I'm curing you. You're gonna be fine. Breathe slowly.” 

And Peter obeyed : He forced his breathing to slow down, and he forced himself to get rid of his dark thoughts about his imminent death. To concentrate, he closed his eyes.

However, it didn't seem to please the man above him, who hastened to order calmly, “Look up at me, kid. Just look right here.”

Peter did as he was told : He slowly opened his eyes, and he blinked in rapid succession to get used to the light. 

He focused on the man above him, who was staring intently into his eyes. The only thing Spider-Man could see clearly was the beautiful blue-green man's eyes, so he focused on the man's gaze as if his life depended on it.

“What ar-re you... d-doing?” Peter whimpered with a confused frown.

“I'm treating your skull.” The adult explained with a bored tone, as if he was announcing the weather, “I'm almost done. Keep talking.” He didn't even bother to develop more. He seemed watchful, focused on his hand which still covered Peter's forehead.

“Sounds p-peachy...” Peter let out a faint laugh, before asking.“What are y-you?”

“A master of the Mystic Arts, at your service.”

Peter blinked, “W-What ?”

“Keep talking.” 

Peter would have objected that this was not an answer and that talking technically was what he was doing since the beginning, but he decided to concentrate on the most important. “What's y-your n-name ?”

“Doctor Strange.” The man revealed bluntly. 

Peter could have made some smart remarks about that terrible name, but he realized that something was missing. Something essential...

His mask.

The man removed his mask...

“You...” Peter swallowed, “You saw my face!”

“You're a smart one, aren't you?” Strange hissed sarcastically, almost with a mean tone, while he was focused on whatever he was doing, with his cold – but reassuring – hand on Peter's forehead. He must have seen Peter's panic, because he rolled his eyes and explained dryly, obviously annoyed to justify himself, “Yes, I saw your face, and I guess this awful mask proves you are the famous Spider-Man, but don't worry : I don't know who you are. And if this can reassure you, I could know everything about you if I truly wanted to. I could know your identity, your social security number, and even your height and your tastes.”

Peter didn't know if he had to scream for help or laugh, “This is supposed to be... reassuring?”

“Yes.” Strange shrugged. 

Peter chuckled a little, “OK, that's weird, but I'm probably dying, so why not?”

“You won't die. Not today, at least.” Strange corrected him dryly, with a hard look on his face. 

“W-why that?”

“Because I'm the one who cure you.”

Peter blinked, and then he laughed. “I see... A big ego.”

It didn't make Strange smile at all, but at least, his tone was less dry when he asked, “What gave me away?” 

Peter cleared his throat, and he decided to change the topic. “So... Y-You said you c-could know everything about m-me... Do you... Do you read minds?”

“I do.” Strange confirmed with a bored tone, as if it was perfectly normal. 

Peter winced, “That's not a-alarming at all...”

“Don't worry. Exploring the depths of a teenager's mind is not my favorite hobby.”

Peter chuckled weakly. “G-Good to know.”

Even if the adult was special, Peter was forced to admit he was still conscious thanks to him and he was not scared anymore. It must have been the man's purpose, to distract him. 

Right now, Peter's vision became clearer, so he could actually see the mysterious man who was currently saving him. The latter was wearing a red cape, and a blue robe. His hair was mostly dark, as dark as his elegant goatee, but there was some gray at his temples. The most noticeable features of his face were his steely blue eyes and his prominent cheekbones. 

“What are you doing to me?” Peter asked, but without any mistrust or fear, this time.

There was a short silence, and Strange stared at him for a long moment, as if he was deciding if he could answer or not. Finally, he explained, “I'm curing you with magic.”

Peter raised his eyebrows, but he believed the man, “Really?”

Strange just nodded, and the kid smiled weakly, “That's cool.”

The man rolled his eyes, but didn't respond. He looked really annoyed, in fact. Peter cleared his throat, and he tried to continue the conversation as his new friend was not really talkative, “So... Where does 'Doctor Strange' come from?”

“Sorry?” The man frowned.

“Your made-up name.”

The man looked offended, “That's not my made-up name, stupid kid.” Before the kid could react, Strange removed his hand, and he announced with relief, “Done.”

Peter felt a first arm crawl under his kneels, while the other one held his back. Then, he was lifted up gently by Strange, the latter making sure that the kid's head was resting against his shoulder. 

Peter felt safe in the man's arms, without really knowing why, so he allowed himself to lose consciousness.

///

“How are you feeling, kid?”

Peter woke to Strange's dry voice. When he opened his eyes, he realized he was on a couch in an unknown place, his mask laying just next to him. 

Strange was preparing a drink, near him. He didn't even take a quick look at the young teenager, focused on his task, but he clearly knew he was awake. 

Peter nervously rubbed the back of his head, astonished not to feel any injury under his fingers or even pain, and he answered, “I'm fine.” 

Peter was astonished it was the truth. 

Strange didn't seem relieved, he even insisted coldly, “No pain, no dizziness, no nausea, no vision problem ?” His sharp eyes finally stopped looking at the drink, and he stared at the kid, analyzing each part of Peter's body with great care. 

“Nope, Doc.” Spider-Man shyly shook his head. 

He expected Strange to reprimand him for this terrible nickname, but the adult just nodded, staying silent. 

Spider-Man bit his lower lip, and he tried to joke, “So... This is the moment where you're gonna tell me 'You are a wizard' and take me to Hogwarts ?”

His joke didn't even prompt a smile from the adult. Stephen just approached Peter, holding a mug between his hands covered by yellow gloves.

“Drink this.” Strange ordered sternly, waiting until the kid reached out and took the drink. 

Peter narrowed his eyes at the mug, “What it is? A potion ?”

“Very funny.” Stephen rolled his eyes and he kept his stoned face.

“Do you ever smile? Is it against the law of magic to smile or something?” Peter replied, but without any annoyance. In fact, he was just curious and a little amused. 

Stephen said nothing, and the kid understood the message, “OK, I'll shut up.”

Strange raised an eyebrow, “Oh, so you're actually able to do that?”

With a little smirk, Peter showed his mug with his chin and asked “What's in this, Grumpy ?”, before taking a sip of the drink...

… But he almost spit it out, because of the awful and sharp taste invading his mouth. He swallowed the drink with difficulties, and he started to cough. 

He couldn't help but glare at Strange, who was staring at him quietly, his arms crossed nonchalantly against his chest. 

When he saw the kid's glare, the adult didn't look guilty at all and he calmly defended himself, “Don't look at me like that... I never said it was good.” There was even the faintest of smirk crossing his face.

Peter realized Strange did have a sense of humor, just a twisted sense of humor. 

“What the hell is that disgusting thing ?!” Peter winced with disgust. 

Strange stayed calm, and Peter wondered if anything ever could shake the man. “That disgusting thing will make you feel better. It will heal the minor rest of your injury I couldn't take care of. ” 

The teenager raised an eyebrow. “Really, this will make me feel better? I'm sure I lost my tongue, and I-” 

“Do you ever stop talking?” Strange groaned, clenching his jaw, but it was clear that his annoyed reaction was exaggerated. 

Peter pointed at him “You're the one who asked me to talk, Grumpy!”

“Yeah, because you had a fractured skull, and I needed you to stay conscious while I was saving you.” Strange replied bluntly, and this cold, but true, statement hit Peter.

He looked down and he whispered with a grateful tone, “Thank you, by the way. For... Saving my life.”

It didn't soften Strange in the least, “I just did my duty.”

This dry response was supposed to cool Peter down, but contrary to all expectation, the kid was able to bravely look Strange in the face without being impressed, “Yeah, but I don't care, I'm still alive thanks to you... So, thanks.”

If Strange was surprised, he hid it well. He stared at Peter for a long moment. His sharp gaze made Peter feel uneasy, he was struggling to keep the eye contact. 

Finally, Stephen turned his eyes away. “You're welcome, Spider-Man.” For the first time, his deep voice wasn't cold. It was... warm. 

Peter appreciated the fact that Strange didn't question him about his activities, and he didn't lectured him either, because of his young age. Actually, the doctor looked as if he didn't care about it, and it felt good.

To be considered as an equal. 

To be respected. 

Peter pointed at his mask, “Yeah, about that... You can call me Spidey.”

Strange gave Peter a calm look, and he sighed, “I know you desire to stay anonymous. If you want me to forget your face and our entire conversation, all you have to do is ask, and I will.”

Peter blinked, still wondering if he could trust the man. However, there was no trace of lie on the man's face, only blunt honesty, so he decided to at least take him seriously. 

He asked, actually rather impressed, “You... You can do that? You can... Make yourself forget ?”

Stephen raised defiantly an eyebrow, as he nodded, “Your decision, Spidey.”

Peter nodded gratefully, and he took his time to think about it. On the one hand, he really had to keep his identity secret, Strange was right, it was really important to him. On the other hand, his instincts were telling him he could trust the man, and in fact, he just saved his life, he didn't deserve to forget.

Peter ended up shaking his head with a confident smile, “Nah, you can keep these memories, Doc.”

Strange looked surprised, and he commented, almost shyly, “An unexpected choice.”

“I don't want you to forget about my brilliant personality, Grumpy.” Peter joked, with a big grin. 

Yes, he was still trying to make Stephen smile, or even laugh. But instead of that, Strange just rolled his eyes. 

“So kind of you.” He replied sarcastically. 

Peter became serious, “No, seriously, I think I can trust you.”

“You think?”

Peter nodded with a sweet smile, and he explained himself. “Well, first of all, you didn't kill me, you saved me, and my spidey senses-”

“Your spidey senses...” Stephen repeated with a questioning gaze. 

“Oh, they can alert me when I'm in danger, they are my... instincts, and I don't feel myself in danger, when I'm with you, Doc.” Then, the teenager asked, “Can I go ? I mean, this is not against you, Grumpy, but I need to go back to my aun- family, and they must be worried.”

Stephen just nodded, “Sure. But you must drink the entire mug.”

Peter's mouth dropped. “Hey, not cool ! I was nice to you!”

And finally, Stephen smiled. It was so small that Peter almost failed to see it. He felt ridiculously proud of himself, to such a point that he had to force himself not to scream in victory. 

“Drink, Spidey.” Strange ordered nicely. 

“C'mon, just the half!”

“Don't bargain with me, kid. You'll lose.”

Peter raised an eyebrow, “Really?”

“ I'm pretty good with those.”

Peter sighed, as he moved slowly the mug towards his lips with a disgusted expression. “Could I come back here, someday?” He asked shyly, and he rubbed nervously the back of his neck.

Stephen frowned. “Why would you like to come back here?”

“Are you kidding me? I have so many questions ! I want to know everything about this place, and about your bizarre magic !” And I want to know you. Peter added in his mind. “Could I, yes or no ?”

A smug smirk slowly but surely came on Stephen's face. “Only if you drink the entire mug.” 

The kid raised his chin with a determined and defiant look. “Deal.”


	2. First Meeting: Part II

When Peter went back home, he was praying that Tony wouldn't confront him, at least not tonight. Unfortunately, God didn't grant his wish, because Tony was waiting for him, hands on his waist, his rigid posture showing that he was angry. 

He hissed coldly as soon as Peter opened the front door. “You know... I shouldn't even be surprised about it...”

Peter hated that cold and fake nonchalant voice. He would have greatly preferred Tony to yell hysterically, because right now, the only thing that was present on Tony's face was disappointment. 

It was so much worse. 

“Mr Stark, I...” He started, but Tony interrupted him brutally.“Kid, I don't know if you ever got the memo, but when an adult is talking, you let him talk.”

Peter wisely kept his mouth shut, as Stark glowered and glared.

“I thought that, if you were ignoring my orders, it was because you were just a teenager who wanted to prove yourself, or because you were stupid. But in fact, the real reason, it's that you just don't give a fuck.”

“That's not true.” Peter tried to protest loudly, outraged, but his voice was barely above a whisper.

Tony ignored him. “At least, your suit could have protected you, but of course, you didn't even put it... Why? Because it was out of fashion?” The sarcasm was cruel, but Tony couldn't care less.

What's more, Peter knew that he deserved it. He just stared at the adult with pleading eyes. 

Tony groaned. “No, don't make doe eyes at me! Do you want me to have a heart attack? It that your purpose? Because if it is, you're doing a very good job.” 

As Peter said nothing, twiddling his fingers nervously, Tony added. “What if you had died today?”

“Yeah, I know, you don't need that on your conscience.” Peter repeated Tony's past sentence in a whisper, with a little of bitterness. 

“Yeah, because I can't lose you.” 

His voice cracked, and it broke Peter's heart. It was the first time he was seeing Tony so moved. And it was all his fault. 

Tony sighed roughly, trying to pull himself together, but he still had tears in his eyes. “I don't know what I would do if I lose you, kid.” His voice was more assured, but it still shook a little. 

“I'm sorry.” Peter looked down shamefully, “I didn't think, I... I'm an idiot, I made a mistake, I'm sorry.”

And Peter was sincere. He actually nearly died, and this horrible experience proved him that he just couldn't keep rushing blindly towards danger.

Because it wasn't just about him. If he was alone, and was getting himself killed, it wouldn't matter. But in fact, people cared about him deeply. People who were dear to him. And Spider-Man didn't want them to suffer, and certainly not because of him. 

Peter's behaviour disturbed Tony. He expected the kid to be defiant, to protest, or even to pretend to accept his sermon. However, Peter looked really ashamed and remorseful. 

He frowned, worried. He felt his anger melt away. “What happened, kid?” He asked, his voice gentler. 

Peter couldn't help but smile a little. Tony knew him so well... 

He could have lied, but he just didn't want to. Tony deserved honesty. “I... I got hurt.” Colour drained from Tony's face, so he quickly added to reassure him. “I'm fine now, I promise! Someone helped me.”

Even if Tony sighed of relief, he narrowed his eyes, repeating slowly with suspicion. “Someone...?”

Peter cleared his throat. “Yeah, perhaps you know him : Doctor Strange. He saved my life.”

It rings a bell... Tony thought while he stroked his goatee, but he just couldn't put his finger on it. He will have to do some research...

“And he saw my face...” Peter muttered, making a face. This fact didn't bother him, but he knew that won't be the case, with Tony. “But it's OK.”

“You trust a man you just met?” Tony raised his eyebrows. 

“Why not?” Peter replied, a little insolent. 

“Careful, kid.”Tony reminded him, but with an affectionate tone. He even tousled gently Peter's hair. 

“Stop it!” Peter tried to sound annoyed, but he was doing a terrible job at hiding his smile. 

“Be nicer with the handsome guy who babysits you!”

“Handsome?” Peter repeated slowly, feigning to think about it seriously. “That's not the first word that comes to mind.”

“Really? Which word it is, then?” 

“Gorgeous.”

Tony approved, with a big smirk. “That's because you've got good taste, kid.”

“Debatable.” Peter teased. He then laughed, as Tony spread a hand over his chest in mock hurt. 

///

When Peter arrived in front of the front door of Doctor Strange's house, he was about to knock, but when he brought his hand up, it didn't reach the door. 

Because he ended up directly inside the house in a familiar room, as if he had gone through the walls. 

While he pulled himself together to get used to his new surrounding, he heard a strident noise suggesting that an object was moved, scraping the floor. 

As if by magic, a coat rack headed slowly for him, stopping just next to him. Smiling, and quite impressed, Peter took his jacket off, to hang it on the coat rack, and he put his school bag down, near it. 

“Grumpy?” He called out, his voice echoed in the huge room. 

“I didn't expect you to come back so soon, Spidey...” The drawling and deep voice that Spider-Man could recognize everywhere, came out of nowhere. 

Peter would never admit it, but he jumped. Grumbling, he turned his head in every direction, to find the damn doctor. 

“Is it too much for you just to open the door and greet normally a guest?” Peter pointed out, shaking his head. 

He finally found Strange when the latter came out of the shadows, flying majestically towards the teenager, thanks to his red cape. 

Of course, his cape had to be magical, too... Peter thought, without knowing if he had to be annoyed by that level of awesomeness, or admiring.

The doctor landed carefully on the ground in front of Peter, slowly nodding. 

“You like dramatic entrances, don't you?” Peter noticed lightly, smiling a bit. 

Without giving an answer, Stephen blinked nonchalantly, and then, Peter was sat comfortably in a sudden chair in front of the sorcerer, who had also conjured a chair up for himself. 

“Show off.” Peter muttered, knowing that this sudden teleportation was due to Strange's uncommon powers.

Stephen glanced calmly at him, and he raised his eyebrows. He didn't contradict him, though. “Do you want to drink something?”

Peter remembered the unpleasant memory of the disgusting mug that Strange forced him to drink, so he made a face. 

“Nope, I'm good!” He refused politely, but maybe a little too rapidly. 

“Are you sure?”

Peter nodded hastily. “Yeah, Doc, I'm not thirsty, I drank a lot before coming here. I mean, not alcohol of course, I'm a responsible teenager, just... Water. And it's enough-” He cleared his throat, and he forced himself to stop jabbering, by biting his lower lip. 

That was Peter's main problem : When he was nervous, he just couldn't help but talk. 

A lot. 

His cheeks were burning and Stephen clearly didn't help at all, given that his gaze was mocking, and his lips moved just for a second, as if he was repressing an amused half-smile. 

“Why did you come, Spidey?” Strange asked. His voice stayed smooth and neutral, so Peter couldn't guess if his surprise visit was appreciated, or on the contrary, not very wished. 

“Don't show too much enthusiasm!” Peter scoffed quietly, but loud enough so that Stephen could hear it. 

“You know what I mean. It's been two days since I saved you, and then, here you are, already in my Sanctum...”

Peter smiled and gave him a wink. “I didn't want you to miss me too much.”

Strange's deadpan expression didn't budge, but Peter's smile stayed on his face. 

“Well, I suppose you came because you had a lot of questions.”

“Don't put yourself down, Doc. I also came because I like your company.” It was supposed to be a joke, but in fact, Peter meant it. 

“I'm honoured that I've received the affections of a fourteen year old kid...”

“I'm fifteen!” Peter corrected, almost brutally. 

“Right, sorry.” Stephen apologized, but his bored tone showed that he was not sorry at all. He even rolled his eyes. “You may ask your questions.”

To encourage the kid, he pointed at him gently.

“Hum... Just, if you don't want to answer some of them because it's too much, you can just-” Peter started to stammer, but Strange interrupted him rudely. “Spidey, your questions...”

“Right.” Peter sighed roughly, to gather his bravery. “Is your name really ''Strange'', or what it a joke?”

“Really?” Strange sighed, annoyed. He seemed totally fed up with Peter's behaviour. “That's your first question?”

“That's not an answer, Doc.” Peter fought back, a small grin on his face. 

Strange leant forward, deadly serious. “Do I look like a guy who jokes?”

The teenager made a face. “No, not really. But we never know!”

“My name is Doctor Stephen Strange.”

“Stephen Strange...” Peter repeated slowly, narrowing his eyes. “ Yes, that's good for you. It sounds mysterious enough.” He laughed as Strange rolled his eyes again, before moving on to the next question, “What are you, really?”

“A master of mystics arts.” Then, Strange clarified. “A sorcerer, if you prefer.”

“So, magic exists?”

“Indeed.” When he saw the astonished look on Spider-Man's face, Strange added. “I was surprised too, when I found out.”

“Can you show me something magical, Grumpy?” Peter asked, trying to hide his excitement. 

Strange remained silent for a long moment, clearly hesitating. Just as Peter was sure that Stephen was going to refuse, the adult got up from his seat. 

“Cloak.” He simply said. 

The red cape Strange was wearing went away from the Doctor's shoulders. By reflex, Peter stood up so quickly that his chair toppled over. Afraid, the Cloak took refuge behind Strange's back, holding him tight. 

“Everyone, just calm down.” Stephen intervened loudly, freezing the two other occupants of the room. He then turned to the Cloak which was shaking behind him, and he added firmly. “Including you.”

“What...” Peter stuttered, “ What the hell is that? It's... It's alive?”

He couldn't believe his eyes. This cape wasn't only able to make Doc fly, it was alive, it was moving and acting like a normal person!

“It's my most faithful companion.” His voice was weird, it was... full of affection and tenderness. It was as if Strange was more comfortable with this cape than with humans. 

“Cloak, Spidey...” Stephen introduced, “Spidey, Cloak.” 

The Cloak didn't move, so Strange reassured it, gently. “Come on, don't be shy. He's not gonna bite you.” 

The red cloak slowly moved to the left, flying around Strange, to approach Peter. 

Carefully, Peter reached out, without any too quick movement. Motionless, he waited patiently, until the Cloak touched his hand. 

It grazed his hand at first, cautious. 

“Hey”, Peter whispered gently. He felt very stupid to talk to a cape. Unsure, he glanced at Strange, who just nodded, encouraging the kid to continue. 

“Sorry I scared you.” Spider-Man apologized, and the Cloak wrapped itself around his hand and a part of his forearm, gently squeezing it. 

Peter laughed unbelievingly. “That's the most freaking amazing thing I've ever seen!” The Cloak left him, and returned rapidly to Strange's shoulders.“You could name it!”

“That's not my priority. I'm actually surprised that it let you touch it... It doesn't really like new people...”

But Peter didn't pay attention to the last part. He stroked his chin, thoughtful. “What about... Cloakie?” He suggested, raising a finger. 

Stephen just raised his eyebrows. 

“OK... No fun, I get it.” Peter sighed, but he accepted to change the topic, and they both sat on their chairs. “Why I never heard of you, before?”

“Let's say that you're not the only one who likes anonymity.”

“So, you operate in the shadows...What are you doing with your powers? Are you a superhero?”

“No, I'm not.” Strange answered sharply, as if this simple idea was horrible. Peter frowned, confused by this strong refusal, but he didn't insist. “I do my duty as a Sorcerer: I protect Earth and its population, but not from little robberies or rabbles. No offence.”

Peter shrugged his shoulders. “No offence taken, Doc. So, who are your enemies?”

“Beings from other worlds, other dimensions...” Strange revealed quietly, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. 

“Are you really a Doctor?”

Strange's answer took more time than his previous ones. “Yes, I'm still am. Before, I was a neurosurgeon.”

“Why did you stop?” Peter asked curiously. 

As Strange pursed uncomfortably his lips, Peter added gently, but with a bit of humour to lighten the mood. “I mean, what made you want to leave your well-paid job, in order to wear a red cape and fight against bad guys from space?” 

“It's a Cloak.” To Peter, it was just a detail, but judging by his dry tone, it mattered a lot for Strange. 

“OK, a Cloak... So, why?”

For the first time, Strange's cold face cracked. Peter felt immediately guilty for bringing bad memories back. He opened his mouth to apologize and to tell him to forget about it, but he didn't even have the time to articulate a word, because Strange, still looking at Spider-Man intently, slowly removed his yellow gloves. 

It was as if this mere movement was painful for him. 

Then, Peter saw them. 

His hands. 

Shaking, and full of scars. 

Peter's eyes rounded. “What...” He swallowed, “What happened?”

Strange's lower lip quivered almost imperceptibly, and a sad glint appeared in his blue eyes. Seeing the doctor, a man who could control his emotions, being that upset was heart-breaking.

“A car accident. I was lucky I survived, but my hands... clearly didn't. Like you must know, it's inconvenient for a neurosurgeon to continue his work when he can't even hold a scalpel, or a pen to write his name.” His voice was hoarse and bitter. 

Normally, Stephen would never have told that to anyone. He was a man who preferred to keep secrets rather than revealing them to a kid he barely knew. 

However, Spider-Man was different. He was... pure, innocent. 

Trustworthy.

Peter's sharp wit effortlessly understood that Strange hated his hands. That was probably the reason why he was wearing those gloves. 

“I actually like scars.” Peter's gentle voice ended Stephen's thoughts. “They are the proof that we surpassed an obstacle. They remind us everyday that we survived something big, that we are still breathing, despite being so close to death.”

“Or they can remind us everyday our mistakes, and how stupid we were on the road...”

Peter made a face, but, unlike other people who would just give up, he continued, proving that he had guts. “You know, I think your hands are very talented.” 

Strange opened his mouth, but Peter added firmly. “Even now.” 

The doctor wanted to object, but he simply couldn't : The words were stuck in his throat, and there was no enough air in his lungs to talk, so he let the kid explain himself. 

“Yes, they are shaking, full of scars, and they can't even hold a pen.” Peter paused, being cautious, but he continued, his voice gentle, but confident. “ But they can do so much more... These hands saved me, and I'm pretty sure they're able to do many things I don't even know about. They may be broken physically, but in fact, they're more powerful and capable than any hands.”

Stephen was speechless. It has been a while since someone actually managed to make him unable to reply. 

“Did I say too much?” Peter asked anxiously, as he looked down. 

“No, you didn't.” Strange paused, to clear his throat. “Thank you.” He whispered weakly, offering him a sad, but honest smile. 

“Any time.”Peter answered simply, smiling as well. “Can't you heal them?”

“I could.”

“Why don't you?”

“It's not about me. My powers mustn't be used for this selfish task.”

Suddenly, Strange glanced at the clock. “Don't you have homework to do?”

Spider-Man smiled, not offended in the least.“It's your way of telling me to get out of there?”

“I didn't want to be rude. I've got an appointment, in Kathmandu, and I'm already late.”

Peter frowned, confused. “Nepal? But how are you going to...” 

Strange retrieved a small metallic object, it was shaped like a slim rectangle, with two openings on the side. He threaded his index and his middle finger in the openings, like a ring. Then, he placed his ring hand in front of him, while he drew circles in the air with the other. Suddenly, an amber portal appeared.

Peter's mouth dropped, as Strange explained. “That's a portal. I can travel with it anywhere, as long as I already saw the place where I wanna go.”

“So cool.” Peter whispered with admiration. He then shook his head and stood up. “Thanks a lot for accepting me here, and answering my questions... I hope I haven't been a pain in the ass.”

“No, you were not.” Then, Strange moved towards the portal, and he said simply “You know the exit, Spidey.” before going through the portal which closed by itself, collapsing into wisps of sparks which then disappeared, along with Strange.

Peter noticed that Stephen trusted him enough to let him alone in his house without any supervision, but Strange's way of leaving was quite rude. So, he burst out laughing. 

“Goodbye to you too, Grumpy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks a lot for reading!:)
> 
> The next chapter will deal with the third part of ''First Meeting'', and we will finally see Stephen and Tony's first meeting. :)
> 
> WIX2


	3. First Meeting: Part III

Peter didn't even bother to knock, this time. He just opened the Sanctum's front door which wasn't even bolted. 

Normally, he would never have done that, because he respected people's privacy, and it was quite rude and impolite to go freely in a house which wasn't yours.

However, Stephen has told him that he could come in his Sanctum without even informing him, whenever Spider-Man liked.

“Hello, Grumpy!” Peter said loudly and joyfully, as he closed the Sanctum's front door behind him. “I noticed that your front door isn't even bolted... You should be more careful, I mean, I'm not a bad guy, I won't steal or destroy anything, but still! Not everyone is like me... And it's a shame, if you want my opinion.”

As he met only silence, he continued to talk, while he walked confidently in the house, looking for Strange. “I know, I know, you're powerful enough to defend your house, I'm sure you would be able to scare a burglar off only with your famous killer look, but you could still put a tiny protection... ”

His monologue was interrupted when Peter accidentally hit the corner of a table, bringing down all the opened books on the floor, along with a few glasses. It all fell down with a loud thump.

He cursed his clumsiness, glancing at the mess he just caused with guilt. “Sorry, Doc! Forget what I said about me not destroying your house...”

While he kept walking, taking a few more corridors, he finally found the doctor. The latter was quietly sitting cross-legged on a circular carpet, his eyes closed, and his face completely relaxed. His breathing was slow and regular, he seemed completely in another world, out of touch with reality.

Peter stopped walking brutally, and he didn't dare to move. “Sorry, I didn't know you were meditating... I'll shut up!” He whispered hastily, staying motionless.

“Who could meditate with all this racket?” The smooth and deep voice made Peter jump, because he hadn't expected the sorcerer to talk.

Stephen slowly opened his eyes as if he was cautious not to rush himself, and he turned his piercing blue-green gaze on Peter, with a half-smile to show that he wasn't irritated.

“Hello, Spidey.”

Peter offered him a shy smile, as Strange was getting up with suppleness. The kid turned to the Cloak settled on Stephen's shoulders.“Hey, Cloakie.” He even gave the Cloak a small wave. 

He didn't expect the Cloak to respond, but contrary to all expectation, the Cloak's collar bobbed up and down, in a quick nod.

“What did you destroy?” Strange asked calmly, rubbing briefly his eyes. His tone was bored, as if it didn't matter that Peter was coming into his house, and was breaking objects.

“Oh, almost nothing...” Peter cleared his throat, trying not to stammer. “Maybe I... I knocked over the big table, with a little of books... Well, all your books... Sorry. I promise I'll clean it up!”

Stephen rolled his eyes, but it was just because of Peter's ridiculous anxious attitude and his guilty face. Such an adorable drama-queen.

“You're here quite early...” He noticed with his usual neutral voice.“ You skipped school...”

That was not a question. Peter expected Stephen to reprimand him, but he just kept his illegible face, making impossible for the kid to guess what he was thinking.

“Nope, Doc. A teacher was absent. So, I decided to drop in and say hello.”

Stephen got a bottle of water, and he took a long sip. “ I guess that every time you're fighting against crime in your ''Spider-Man'' mode in the middle of the day, a teacher is absent as well?”

This time, it sounded more like a judgement. “I've got good marks, even if I'm not at school often.” Peter retorted, narrowing his eyes, maybe a little too much on the defensive.

Strange must have seen the sudden tension in Spider-Man's body, because he rolled his eyes, jaded. “Relax, kid, you do whatever you want, I'm no one to tell you what to do. I'm just... impressed.”

His little pause suggested that Strange wasn't used to making compliments.

“Impressed?” Peter repeated, astonished. Nobody was impressed when he was skipping school... It was clearly the opposite.

“Yes. You seem to take your duty as Spider-Man very seriously, which is rather uncommon, especially for someone your age... ”

“With great power comes great responsibility.” Peter mumbled quickly, as if he was reciting a sentence stuck into his heart.

Strange didn't say a word, unsure. He was detecting regret and shame in the kid's brown eyes, and the latter was clearly uncomfortable.

“Yeah...” Peter rubbed his face with one hand. “Unfortunately, I hadn't always respected that sentence.” He spat with bitterness, thinking about the time he was stupidly using his powers just to earn money.

Strange frowned. “What made you respect it, then?”

Peter's chest was suddenly too tight, and he had a painful lump in his throat, making impossible for him to talk.

He still felt horrible about Uncle's Ben death, because it was his fault. If he had stopped the hold-up man, the latter would never have murdered his uncle. The truth is that, it's not a bullet which killed his uncle ; It was just Peter's stupidity and childishness.

As he saw the kid's unusual dark expression, Strange knew he just hit a nerve, so he raised his shaking hands which were not gloved. “It's OK, kid, don't tell me.”

A few tears appeared in the corners of Peter's eyes, clearly showing that he was distressed, but he protested weakly through clenched teeth.“That's not fair! You let me know everything I wanted about you, but you don't know anything about me and now I can't... and I just-”

Strange couldn't believe it: The kid was feeling guilty because he wasn't able to confide something painful about his past to him... 

“Hey, that's not a competition, stupid kid.”

While he was saying that in a gruff, but affectionate tone, Stephen put a hand on Peter's shoulder, squeezing it. Then, as the kid was looking down so that Strange couldn't see his face at all, he gently raised Peter's chin with two shaking fingers, to force him to look up.

“I talked to you about myself, because I was ready for this. You are not. Don't be ashamed of that. Don't force yourself to do anything.”

Strange's piercing eyes were reassuring. Finally, when Strange took a few steps back, giving the kid some space, Peter nodded, smiling weakly. “You just don't want to admit that you don't care?” 

Strange shook his head. “No, I'm curious... I do wonder how you've got your powers.” He paused, before revealing. “And believe me, you don't know everything about me.” Otherwise you probably wouldn't be there. Strange added darkly in his mind.

“That's creepy, Grumpy.” Peter laughed freely.

“ Yeah, and your guilt is stupid.” He retorted bluntly.

Peter stared at Stephen for a long moment, as if he was looking for something specific on Strange's calm face. Then, he revealed, pointing at the back of his neck. “I've been bitten by a radioactive spider right here, that's how I've got my powers.”

Even if Stephen was clearly curious, he still shook his head. “Kid, like I said, you don't have to force your-” But he was cut by Peter's firm voice.“I don't. Truly! I want you to know that.”

Strange simply nodded. “To get back to my door's problem, if I don't bolt it, it's because it already has its own protection...”

“But I managed to enter without any difficulty...”

Strange rolled his eyes and he let out a low grunt, as if Peter's worries about his security were both useless and offensive. “Because my magic allowed you to.”

Peter didn't know why, but he was still amazed by all Strange's capacities which seem to have no limits. “Your magic can recognise people, and accept them or not?”

“I know. That's pretty awesome.” Stephen scoffed, raising a few times his eyebrows.

Peter chuckled. “And to crown it all, you're friend with a red Cloak...”

“And a clumsy kid who skips school to dress up as a spider.”

By adding Peter to the list, Strange just admitted indirectly that he considered Spidey as his friend. A sweet heat spread into the kid's chest, warming his heart deep inside. It was really ridiculous to feel that happy, but he couldn't care less.

He was sure that a huge and stupid smile was lighting up his face. 

“I gotta go.” Peter announced suddenly, with a bit of regret. “I've got homework to do.” He made a face, clearly not happy at all. 

“That's the most reasonable thing you said, since I met you.” Strange teased, crossing his arms in front of his chest. 

Peter stuck out childishly his tongue at Strange.“Jerk.”

And then, Strange laughed, for the first time in the company of Spider-Man. The teenager was both glad and astonished, he would never have imagined that he just had to insult Stephen, to make him laugh.

“I thought I was grumpy.” Stephen replied, feigning confusion.

Peter chuckled. “Yeah, you're a grumpy jerk.”

“That's rude, Spidey.” Stephen pointed at the kid. 

“Peter...” Spider-Man revealed gently, smiling with complicity. “My real name is Peter.”

Stephen smiled, nodding as if it was an honour to know Spider-Man's real name. “See you soon, Peter.”

///

“Anthony Stark... What a surprise.”

Stephen stared coldly at Stark, who was in front of the Sanctum. 

“ A pleasant of an unpleasant surprise? ” The billionaire just asked this useless question to get on Strange's nerves. He wasn't interested by Strange's opinion at all. 

“Well, I never believed that a man like you would one day knock on my door...” Strange said, his voice smooth.

“I do live to amaze.” Tony spread his arms dramatically, a smug smirk on his lips. 

“Of course you do.” Strange was proud of himself : He had never put that sarcasm in so few words.

Without asking his permission, Tony walked around Strange to go inside the Sanctum, colliding deliberately with the doctor's left shoulder. No violently, but just enough to show his disrespect. 

Then, he sat without any concern on the first sofa he found, and he put his feet on the little table in front of his chair. “Make yourself at home.” Stephen hissed with irony, while he closed the Sanctum's door.

“Gladly.”

“How did you know where I lived?”

“I'm a genius, remember that.” Stark spat with arrogance. Then, he joined his hands together, and he stared at Stephen intently, but the sorcerer held his piercing and intimidating gaze effortlessly.

After a long tense silence, Tony finally talked, with a fake nonchalant voice. “Doctor Stephen Strange, brilliant and famous neurosurgeon, one of the best in the world.”

“The best in the world. Remember that.” Stephen corrected him dryly, smirking. Even if it was a little childish as a defence, Tony started it. 

Strange saw Tony's jaw clench, and Stephen was pleased by this sight. God, he had missed having somebody around to annoy.

“Alright, if that helps you sleep at night...” Tony hissed, “You survived a car accident, but your hands were crushed... This event ruined your career.”

Strange raised his chin with a contemptuous grin, refusing to show just how painful and consuming it was to listen to this. He still managed to control his face's features, but it was hard, because of the bad memories which were coming back. “You did your homework, Stark.”

“Then, after your accident, you disappeared... Gone, without a trace, and then, as if by magic, you came back in New-York-”

“OK, if you think that reciting my life that everyone can find on Google will impress me, you'll have to try harder than that, Iron-Man.” Strange grumbled, losing the few patience he had.

Tony offered him an acid, but calm, smile. “I'm not trying to impress you. You're not important enough for that.”

Strange had to struggle not to punch his unwanted guest. He was hating himself for it, but he was getting angry because he was feeling his ego being attacked, and that was just what Tony wanted.

So, he forced himself to take a deep breath, before asking calmly, “Then why don't you tell me the reason of all this? I'm a busy man and I don't have time for these games.”

Sharing his opinion, Tony attacked bluntly.“You met someone.”

Strange cocked his head. “You'll have to be more specific, Stark.”

“You know... A joyful, stupid, and clumsy fifteen year old kid, does it ring a bell?” Tony clarified nonchalantly, crossing his arms behind his head. However, his eyes were burning, contrasting with his relaxed posture. 

Strange wasn't able to hide his surprise. “You know Spidey?”

Tony's jaw clenched. “OK, I'm gonna make this simple, because I'm a busy man.”

“Please, do.” Stephen hissed, with a false politeness. 

“I don't trust you.”

“My heart is broken.”

“So, if I'm here, it's because I want to make sure that you won't be a problem, for Spider-Man.”

Strange slowly nodded. “I see, you're protective...We both know that Spidey is able to protect himself.”

“And we both know that ''Spidey'' can't protect himself against you.” This sentence left a bitter taste in Tony's mouth. Indeed, if he was saying that, it was because Tony felt something raw, something heavy in the air, coming from Strange, as soon as the doctor opened the door. 

So, even if he didn't know what it was, Tony could easily deduce that Strange was powerful. 

And who says powerful says dangerous.

“Careful, Stark, that was a compliment. You flatter my ego.”

Tony's face showed only disgust. “Your ego doesn't need me to be flattered.”

“True.” Strange admitted confidently, crossing his arms on his chest while he leant against a wall.

“Look, I'm gonna be honest: I don't care about you or about what you're doing, as long as Spider-Man doesn't get hurt, or that he's not exposed to others, because of you.”

“I didn't know the famous Iron-Man was paranoiac...”

“I'm just mistrustful.” Tony corrected dryly, glaring at him. “Anyway, if you hurt Spider-Man, you'll have to deal with me.”

Strange narrowed his eyes, with his condescending expression on his face which would make most people run away. “You dare to come to my house, and threaten me?”

“You bet I do.”

“That's not very reasonable.” Strange jeered.

“Being reasonable has never been my style.”

Strange pursed harshly his lips to suppress a smile. Oh, Tony did have a way with words. Even if he was mostly annoyed by the playboy and his disrespectful attitude, he was forced to admit that this competition wasn't unpleasant. It was... entertaining. 

“Do you really believe that your cute technology-” 

“My cute technology permitted me to find your house, Strange. Please, show a little respect.” Stark interrupted him rudely. 

Stephen nodded, silently admitting this point. “Then, do you believe that your pathetic armour can beat me?”

He knew he has hit a nerve, as soon as Tony glared at him with an angry grin, clenching his fists. “There's only one way to find out, isn't it, Strange?” He whispered, threatening.

“Why don't we act like adults?” Stephen sighed, “You have my word that I will never hurt Spidey, or be a problem about his secret identity. I just know his face, that's all.” And his name, but of course, Strange didn't share this detail.

“That's too much for me.” Tony muttered dryly, while he was getting up, his body tense.

Strange shrugged his shoulders, to show his disinterest. “That's not my problem.” 

Tony headed for Strange, his walk slow and threatening. It was probably supposed to be intimidating, but the doctor just raised a mocking eyebrow, without moving. He didn't even flinch, even when Tony was so close to him that their chest brushed. 

“I saved his life, Stark.”

This point didn't soften Stark in the least. “That's the second reason of my visit... How did you heal him?”

“You're welcome, by the way. Even if I didn't do it for you, you could be at least grateful. ”

Tony totally ignored his sarcastic comment. “He told me that he got hurt, he didn't share any detail, but I know the kid: He was shaken up, which means that he was really badly hurt, but you saved him, without bringing him to the hospital.”

Strange was grateful that Peter kept his magic secret. Even if he was against it, the sorcerers had to stay unknown, that was the rule... Yes, he told Spidey about it, but it was only because he had no other choice but to explain to the kid how he cured his skull. What's more, he trusted the teenager

“I'm still a doctor-”

“Don't bullshit me, Strange.” Tony spat aggressively, not fooled at all.

Strange was forced to admit that Tony was indeed smart. Enough to be a possible problem in the future, if he was still digging.

“OK, no lies : I can't tell you.”

To his credit, Tony wasn't impressed or astonished by this strong refusal. He even laughed darkly. “You can't, or you don't want to?”

“Both.” Stephen revealed shamelessly, “All you have to know, it's that what I've done to Spidey won't have any consequences on his health.”

To Strange's surprise, Tony didn't insist. “I accept your silence. Just know that we aren't done.”

“Oh, but we are done,. You said your little threat, you're happy, your heart is lighter, you can get out of there.” 

As Tony wasn't moving, looking daggers at Strange, the doctor growled angrily, “Now. Before I force you to get out of there.”

His voice wasn't neutral any more. It was dangerous, coldly threatening. An angry hissing which showed that Strange wasn't playing any more.

Tony, not intimidated in the least, hissed in a cold whisper, fixing his sharp gaze on Stephen. “If the kid has a single injury inflicted by you, watch your back, Strange, that's all I say.”

But then, he must have taken seriously the threat, because he moved back. After Stark left, slamming brutally the door behind him, Stephen forced himself to unclench his fists.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks a lot for reading! 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I hope that I've written the Stark/Strange conversation correctly. :)
> 
> This is the end of 'First Meeting.' The next chapter will be a new conversation between our favorite spider and the doctor. :)
> 
> Thanks for your support! :)
> 
> WIX2


	4. The Protector

It was because Peter was deeply focused on his homework, loud music roaring into his earphones, that he didn't hear the faint noise of a magical portal being created in his bedroom, near the office where he was currently working.

Suddenly, Doctor Strange's deep and loud voice arose on his right, covering the music. “Hello, Peter.”

Peter let out a high-pitched scream, and he jumped so high that he fell out of his chair. Lying on the floor without any charisma, he put a shaking hand on his chest and he massaged it, trying to calm down his fast heartbeat. 

“Holy shit! Grumpy, for fuck's sake!” He yelled with a higher voice than ordinary, glaring at the calm doctor who was staring at him derisively, a half-smile playing on his lips. 

There was no trace of guilt on his deadpan face, even if the poor kid was almost gasping for breath, as he was removing his earphones.

“It's good to see you, too.” Stephen purred calmly, deadly serious, and he raised his eyebrows. 

“Damn it, you scared me!” Peter clarified with an accusing and a frustrated look, while he got up with difficulty as his legs were still shaking faintly from shock. 

“Yeah, I figured...”

Peter ignored Strange's sarcastic comment, and he asked in the hurry, lowering his voice not to alert Aunt May,“What are you doing here ? How did you even manage to come here? I thought you could travel with your weird round portals only if you've already seen the place where you wanna go-” 

Slowly, an awkward idea spread into his mind, making him stop talking, and he got a shocked look on his face which was half for show, half sincere. “Did you... Did you already come to my bedroom in secret, when I wasn't there?”

Stephen rolled his eyes. “As surprising it might be for you to hear, I do not distract myself by visiting a teenager's bedroom...” He glanced several times at his surroundings with a set expression, and he added slowly, the judgement evident in his voice, “...which is an absolute mess, by the way...”

Peter could have felt offended, but in fact he was getting used to Strange's daily rude remarks, so he just rolled his eyes. “Well, in my defence, I didn't know I would have company, tonight!”

His reply made Stephen smile. “If you really wanna know how I managed to come here...”

“Please, tell me, I think it concerns me...” Peter muttered under his breath, crossing his arms to look more intimidating, even if he already knew that it wouldn't work on Strange.

“I used a lock of your hair... I found the lock in question on my couch, you know, the one you were sleeping on, during our first meeting. ” Strange revealed shamelessly, as if it was perfectly normal to examine his house with a fine-tooth comb to look for a lock of hair.

Peter blinked in rapid succession, not really knowing how he needed to react. “OK... I don't know which version is creepier, so I'm gonna pretend I haven't heard any of them...” 

Then, he went on his unmade bed, sitting cross-legged, and he encouraged Stephen to join him with a kind hand motion, but the doctor stayed where he was. 

“OK... why are you here?” He asked gently. He wasn't upset by Strange surprise visit, it was even the opposite, but the fact that he didn't know why he came made him feel nervous. 

“Well, it's been a while since you last went to my Sanctum...” Strange's voice was weird, not as confident as before. 

Peter's mouth dropped, and he burst out laughing. “Wait...” He laughed freely, and his high voice was shaking from amusement, “You... You missed me?” 

“No.” Strange replied straight away, with an offended frown and a hard look, as if to say : “Watch your mouth, kid”. Besides, his frown quickly became a scowl. 

Peter was smiling from ear to ear, and this strong refusal just widened his big smile even more. “Liar! You missed me !”

Strange clenched his teeth from annoyance, but Peter could swear that the doctor was uncomfortable. The kid knew very well that Strange wasn't at his best when it comes to expressing his feelings, but he has always seen the doctor confident and proud. 

So, this uneasy attitude was both new and rather cute. 

“Of course not!” Strange firmly denied, pointing sternly at Peter, “I just wanted to check on you, making sure you weren't dead! Usually, you're going to my Sanctum at least twice a week, but I haven't heard from you for weeks...”

Peter chuckled gently. “You're cute when you're worried, Grumpy.”

'Cute' was probably the worst insult Strange could receive, because he grumbled harshly. “I'm not cute, stupid kid!”

“You just admitted that you were worried...” Peter teased, his kind smile turning into a proud grin.

Stephen opened his mouth, but he didn't have the time to reply. 

“Peter? Is everything OK?”

The suspicious and a little worried voice of Aunt May froze the two occupants of the room, and Peter, a bit panicked, glanced anxiously at Strange, before he forced himself to answer. “Yeah, I'm good!” 

He tried to sound normal, but judging by Strange's mocking face, he guessed that his voice was definitely not natural. 

Aunt May's voice echoed through the door. “Let me guess, you're still not into bed!”

“No, not yet... I'm studying...” Well, I was studying, until Grumpy arrived and became a real pain in my ass... Peter thought, grinning at himself. 

“It's past your bedtime, sweetie!”

Stephen let out a muffled giggle, as Peter winced. “Yes, I know! Two more minutes, and I'm sleeping! Promise!”

Peter was begging in this mind that Aunt May would go away, and would not open the door, and this time, the miracle he desperately wanted happened. “OK, good night, sweetie.”

“Good night!” Peter waited until he was sure that Aunt May left, to heave a sigh of relief.

“I agree... It's time for bed, sweetie...” Strange teased, imitating Aunt May's stern and high voice, with an almost wicked grin. 

Without thinking, Peter caught the nearest pillow, and he threw it to Strange who avoided it easily, with a small and proud laugh. “Did you come just to make fun of me?” The kid muttered, almost sulking. 

“As entertaining as it is, I didn't come only for that.”

“Then why?”

Stephen didn't answer immediately. First, he sat on the edge of the bed, then he thrust his hand into his blue robe, retrieving a small box, and he held it out to Peter, his face illegible, but he avoided carefully the kid's curious gaze. 

“I also came to give you this.” He waited, clearing his throat uncomfortably, until Peter reached out and took the box. He opened it, saw what was inside, and he ended up speechless. 

It was a thin necklace. At first sight, we could believe that it was a simple gold necklace, but the colour of the jewel was slowly moving from brilliant yellow to vivid and dark orange constantly, and this colour shading was like the amber colour of Strange's magic. 

However, the most beautiful thing was the small pendant : It was in the shape of a thin spider, surrounded by a round spider web. 

“Wow...” Peter breathed out, unable to let the beautiful jewel out of his sight. “That's... freaking beautiful...” he swallowed, “But that's not my birthday...”

Strange was staring intently at Peter, but also nervously, as if he dreaded Peter's reaction. He even stayed quiet for a time. But eventually, he sighed weakly. “You must know that it's not a mere jewel...”

“Coming from you, of course I know.”

“Into the pendant, I put a relic.” 

Before Peter could open his mouth to ask precision, Stephen anticipated. “A relic is an object which helps us using magic when it's too strong for humans to absorb it by themselves. It can choose its master, and it can have its own power, just like Cloak. The relic I put in this necklace is called a Protector. As its name suggests, it protects its master. When it feels that its master is in great danger, dying, or if it detects a strong and abnormal fear, it will immediately warn the person who possesses the other Protector. Yes, this relic always works by two, which means that two Protectors are linked, and it works in both ways.”

“And I guess you have the other Protector?” Peter whispered quietly, his voice tight. 

Stephen nodded. “Indeed... Into my watch. If your Protector warns mine, I will just have to open a portal without thinking, and it will directly lead me to the place you are currently. As long as you wear the necklace, the Protector will always consider you as its master.”

Peter just nodded, he was so touched that he didn't say a word. However, Stephen interpreted Peter's sudden silence differently. 

“Is it too much?” He asked with a worried voice, rubbing the back of his head. “I mean, I promise you it's not to spy on you, it's not a GPS tracking, or-”

Peter had to struggle to suppress the tender smile which was forming on his lips. He just shook his head, “I love the gift, Grumpy. Thank you.” 

To prove his point, he put the necklace around his neck, his thumb and his index finger fondly stroking the chain. Then, he chuckled. “It's a little offensive, though... You sound like I'm always in danger...”

Strange raised his eyebrows. “Do I need to remind you how we met?”

Peter made a face. “OK, I was perhaps not in the best shape of my life, but-”

“You were dying.” Stephen corrected dryly, almost brutally. Obviously, he didn't want to joke about that, “And you were lucky I was close, otherwise I wouldn't have intervened... I wouldn't even know that a kid would be dying, and I don't want that to happen.”

This time, Peter allowed himself to smile tenderly. “I understand, Doc.”

In fact, the more he was thinking about what the necklace could accomplish, the more Peter loved it. Not only this relic permitted him to be saved, but it was also the proof that Stephen cared about him.

But most of all, Peter could know if the doctor needed help. 

Indeed, Strange was constantly giving the impression that he was invincible, unbreakable, but Peter was not that naïve to believe wholeheartedly this illusion. 

Admittedly, Strange was powerful, but he was still a human. And every human needed help, at some point. 

So, this gift was giving him the opportunity to watch over Strange, and that was all he wanted. 

“Just... If you are in danger, I wouldn't be able to conjure a portal to join you, I'm not magical, so how do I do to find you?”

Peter was convinced that Stephen would strongly affirm that he didn't need Peter's help, because it would be an offence to his big ego, but Strange managed to surprise him. 

Again. 

Because the sorcerer just shook his head. “ I'm gonna be honest, Peter, I don't know. But what I can tell you for sure, it's that this relic still has a few tricks up its steeves. It will find a way. ”

Peter wasn't satisfied by this answer, but he didn't insist. 

“Just... try not to take it off.” Strange requested gently, pointing at the sparkling necklace which was around the kid's neck, with his chin. 

“Yeah, I can do that.” The warmth in Peter's eyes could thaw the coldest winter. “Can I hug you?”

A pure horror coloured Strange's features, and he raised his index, deadly threatening. “No way!”

Peter burst out laughing, shaking his head. “OK, relax, I won't...” He then smirked confidently, winking. “Not today, at least.”

“In your dreams, stupid kid.”

They shared a quick laugh, before Stephen got up, sighing. “Speaking of dreams, you need to sleep. You have school, tomorrow.” 

“Yes, boss.” Peter scoffed, with a big smile. 

“I'm serious.” Strange rolled his eyes, but it was obvious that he was amused. “Do you want me to read you a story, sweetie?” He then teased, his detestable smirk playing on his lips. Strange admitted that it was a low blow, but he didn't care. 

Peter feigned anger, but he couldn't help but chuckle. “Get out of there, grumpy jerk.” 

Strange laughed freely, as he conjured a portal, looking briefly over his shoulder. “Goodbye to you too, stupid kid.”

Then, Strange clapped elegantly, and this brief movement turned off the light. Peter smiled, as Stephen disappeared for good. 

The teenager lay down on his bed, and he closed his eyes. 

He didn't remove his necklace. 

He actually never did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!:)
> 
> The ''Protector relic'' is an invention, because it will be very useful and important, in this fic, and I wanted Peter to have a special and magical gift from Strange. :)
> 
> See you soon !:)
> 
> WIX2


	5. Chess

“Hey!” Peter protested loudly, as Tony childishly snatched the kid's piece of fish from his plate. 

“And I thought you had superhuman reflexes, kid...” Tony teased, as he savoured the flavour with an exaggerated pleasure. 

Peter stuck out his tongue at Tony. “And I thought you were mature enough not to steal my food!” He replied, feigning annoyance as he stuck his fork into a bean stronger than necessary. 

Tony smiled politely at the waiter who was putting a new bread basket on their table, and that was just the distraction Peter was looking for. 

Peter stole a glance at Tony and, suppressing a wicked grin, he took revenge. He stole Iron-Man's last egg, and put it quickly into his mouth to put the aliment out of reach. 

“No-”

“What? It was on the edge of your plate...” Peter defended himself with a false innocence and a dumb voice. He was even blinking, with doe eyes just to piss Tony off. 

“Yeah, because I was keeping the best for the end!”

Peter feigned a guilty expression, but his eyes sparkled playfully. “Oops...” He purred, dragging out the word. 

Tony narrowed his eyes, but he was doing a terrible job at hiding his smile. “Little brat.” 

Peter burst out laughing. “We're a bunch of kids...” He realized.

Tony raised proudly his chin, as he arranged his elegant bow tie. “Luckily, I'm here to upgrade the level...” He smiled, and Peter felt his heart ache.

The teenager has always loved Tony's smile, it was accentuating his dimples on his cheeks and his winkles around the corners of his eyes. That was a sight deeply appreciated, considering the fact that Tony's smiles were a bit rarer these days... 

When Tony finished chewing his food, he pointed at Peter's neck with his fork. “Your necklace... It's new?”

Peter glanced at the jewel he was constantly wearing, and he smiled fondly. From his point of view, he could see the magical colour shading, but Tony and the great majority of people, which means people who were not sorcerers, couldn't. 

The playboy was just seeing a gold necklace. 

“Yeah, it's a gift.” 

Tony was impressed. “It's beautiful.”

Peter stared at Tony attentively, wishing to see Tony's reaction as he revealed bluntly, “It's Stephen who offered it to me.” 

And it was immediate. Iron-Man made a face with a bitter expression, and he corrected himself, clearly dishonest. “OK, I take back what I said, this necklace is actually beyond cheesy...”

Peter just rolled his eyes. 

Tony told him that he met Stephen, but he didn't share any detail. Well, he just said ''It was the best experience of my life'' with his usual ironic voice, and judging by his hostile expression, Peter understood that the two adults didn't become best friends... 

“He is not really your cup of tea, isn't he?” Peter asked gently. 

Tony answered immediately, as if it was obvious. “No, I don't like him, and I don't trust him.”

Peter cocked his head and he whispered with sarcasm, “Only that...”

Tony nodded shamelessly. “I don't understand how you can like him...” 

Even if he shook his head and frowned, Peter was grateful to see that it wasn't a judgement or a reprehension. 

“Well, perhaps I have a soft spot for sarcastic jerks with big ego and amazing facial hair...” The teenager jeered with a bit of humour, even if deep down, he was sincere. 

He glanced intently at Tony, before he said hesitantly, with a false nonchalant tone. “ You never actually told me how your meeting went...”

“I told you, it was the best experience of my life.”

Peter rolled his eyes, as he drank his glass of water. “Yeah, but, I would like the honest version...”

Tony pursed his lips, and he cleared his throat, which was quite unusual coming from him. “OK, maybe, and I insist on the ''maybe'', I was an ass...”

“Oh, you mean, more than usual?” Peter teased to lighten the mood, but Tony nodded seriously. “Yeah.” He admitted softly. 

“Outch...” The kid winced, “And I guess there were a lot of tension, piqued attitudes, and killer looks?”

“You guess well...”

Peter sighed. “You didn't even let him a chance, did you?” He kept his voice neutral, but he would be lying if he was saying that this animosity wasn't bothering him. These two were very important to him, and seeing them hating each other was a little disappointing. 

“No.” Tony wiped his mouth, before justifying his perception, “I did some research about him, and what I found does not really inspire confidence.”

Peter frowned, clearly puzzled. “What do you mean?”

The kid expected Tony to jump at the opportunity to break Stephen's image, but clearly his animosity towards the doctor was not strong enough to surpass the wisdom he has acquired over the years, because he just shook his head. 

“Look kid, I may be an ass, but not enough to grass someone up... Let's say he has not the best past and the most glorious reputation...” 

“So you won't tell me?”

“No. If you want information, ask him or use Google.” Tony refused, with a firm gaze. 

Actually, Peter was far from being disappointed. 

Of course, he was curious about Stephen's past, and his bitter sentence ''Believe me, you don't know everything about me'' was echoing into his mind, as a reminder that Strange had indeed his own secrets.

However, Peter didn't want to discover them from Tony's own lips, and definitely not from Internet. 

He didn't want to betray Stephen's trust, he respected the doctor's privacy, and he wanted him to be ready, if he ever will. 

The fact that Tony stayed quiet proved that despite his defaults, the playboy was a good man. 

“You're a good man, Tony.” Peter covered his mouth with both hands, not wishing to say it out loud.

He swore that Tony blushed, but Iron-Man answered with his confident and proud voice, snorting. “Of course I am, kid. I'm awesome.”

Peter chuckled, but he quickly became serious again, clearing his throat and looking down, pretending to be suddenly fascinated by his beams. 

Tony just glanced at him, and he effortlessly guessed that the kid wanted to say something. “Say whatever you wanna say, kid.”

“I heard about you and Pepper... I'm sorry, Tony.”

Tony nodded slowly, but he smiled a little. “Don't be. She deserves a man who isn't always putting his life in danger, she doesn't deserve to live in fear every time the man she loves leaves the house. Of course, the end of our relationship hurt me, but, it's for the best, and we're still friends, so that's precious.”

Peter didn't like what he was hearing, so he frowned. He could guess easily that Tony was blaming himself, so he shook his head. 

“It's not your fault, you know that, right?” He clarified firmly, but with a gentle tone. 

“Then, who else?” Tony asked coldly. 

“Nobody.” The kid shrugged his shoulders. “Perhaps it's hard for you to admit, but you're not responsible for every shit that happens on Earth.”

“Our relationship didn't work because I-” Tony didn't have the time to explain further, because he was calmly interrupted by the teenager. 

“Because Pepper couldn't support your superhero's responsibilities. It's not her fault, but it's not yours either.” He saw Tony's face becoming less gloomy, so it encouraged Peter to continue. “Trust me, one day you will find someone who accepts your uncommon activities...” He waited a second before teasing lightly, “ And your terrible temper...”

Tony stared at the kid for the long moment, a grateful and relieved glint in his eyes, and Peter knew it was equivalent to a ''thank you'', but he also knew that he would probably never hear a proper one, from Tony's mouth. 

///

“Are you really playing chess alone?” Peter noticed, a total incomprehension on his face as he was watching Strange. 

Stephen didn't even bother to look up. His fingers tips pressed against his lips, his piercing gaze was staring intently at the chessboard in front of him, as he was thinking about his next move. 

Then, he moved the black queen, and then, he turned over the chessboard so that the white chessmen were now in front of him, and the black ones, at the opposite.

“I believe that's what I'm doing...” He answered with his drawling and mocking voice. Apart from this short and rather dry response, he was totally ignoring the kid, but the latter was not offended. 

He could even say that it was a miracle that Stephen was actually answering him. 

Peter chuckled. “Who the hell does that?”

“Me, for a start.” Then, Stephen justified himself, “It's a really useful exercise, kid. It helps us develop and improve our strategic, tactic skills, and our reasoning.”

Stephen could see from the kid's septic and almost horrified face, that he was not convinced at all, so he just stopped explaining. 

However, Peter didn't even let him the time to return to his game of chess, because he replied, with humour. “Yeah, but no! People play chess alone because they just don't have friends.” 

Then, as his eyes scanned quickly and efficiently the chessboard, he took the black rook and he placed it on a different place on the chessboard, before saying proudly, “Check, Grumpy.” 

This provocation drew Stephen's attention to Peter, because he finally looked up, clearly astonished. “You know how to play chess?” 

He stressed the word ''You'', as if it was unthinkable that Peter knew how to play chess. 

Peter just rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. “Don't be a smart ass, Doc. It's not because I'm not as old as you that I know nothing.”

Strange smiled, looking defiantly at Peter as he slowly purred, “I take that for a challenge, kid.” He sounded almost threatening. 

Far from being impressed, Peter took a chair and sat in front of Stephen, and in front of the black chessmen, and he smirked. “Then, take up that challenge, Grumpy.”

Stephen laughed at Peter's defiant attitude. “Do you really want to live your worst and your most humiliating defeat, right now ?” As Peter wasn't responding, he added with false compassion, almost with a sadistic tone. “It's not too late to back out...”

Peter raised confidently his eyebrows. “Play, Grumpy.”

“Gladly.”

And then, the game was on. 

The two men played in silence for a while, each trying to break through their defences, and protecting their most powerful chessmen from the other. 

Clearly, Stephen dominated the fight, however, the doctor was impressed to see that the kid indeed resisted, and he even managed to surprise him. 

Twice. 

Of course, it's Peter who first broke the comfortable silence. “So, admit it Doc, it's funnier when you play chess with another person. Especially with a smart one like me.”

Stephen ignored his comment, but he talked eventually, just to say, “Check.”

“I'll take that as a yes.” Peter jeered with a grin, as he moved his King away from the threat. 

Peter continued to resist a bit, but the kid's inevitable defeat happened. “Checkmate, stupid kid.”

Then, Stephen stood up and he started to put away the chessboard. “That was a great game!” Peter exclaimed joyfully, even if he has lost. 

Strange raised his eyebrows, and he glanced curiously at him. “You really wanted to play, didn't you?”

Peter nodded. “It's been a while since I've played...”

“Well...” Stephen heaved a dramatic sigh, “That explains a lot...”

Peter pretended to be in a huff, but he laughed. “I almost beat you, Grumpy !”

“Yeah, ''almost''...”

As Peter laughed, Strange just smirked briefly, before becoming rather serious. “I must admit that it was...” He was looking for the appropriate word, so Peter suggested lightly, “Amazing, impressive, brilliant ?” 

But Stephen shook his head."... Not as pitiful as I thought. You should play more...”

“Well, no one really wants to play, and I'm not crazy enough to play alone.”

“Are you insinuating that I'm crazy?”

Peter's smile was so bright that Strange thought that if the only thing he ever achieved for the rest of his life was to make the kid smile, then that would be a life well-lived. 

“I wouldn't dare...” Peter joked playfully. 

Stephen just rolled his eyes, before asking, “Not even your mother can play a little, with you?”

Peter's smile slowly faded away. “No... I don't have a mother.”

Stephen frowned and he even stopped putting away the chessboard, in favour of looking Peter in the eye, clearly confused. “But the female voice I was hearing the other day...” He started, hesitating. 

“She's my aunt. Well, I consider her as my mother, but she is not... My parents died when I was little, so I've been raised by my uncle and my aunt.”

Peter could have ended right here, but he actually felt ready to reveal a bit more. To reveal the most heart-broking element of his life. 

“But my uncle died as well, not long ago. He's the one who said to me ''Great power comes great responsibility.'' So, my duty as Spider-Man, it's to save people of course, but also for him.”

Of course, he didn't share the most important, which was his role in his uncle's death. This was too hard to be told. 

However, if he was honest with himself, it wasn't the fact of telling which was a problem. Peter didn't want to, because he was ashamed, and because he was fearing the doctor's reaction.

What would he think of him, if he knew the whole truth? Would he reject him? Would he be disappointed? 

And could Peter really blame him if he was?

Stephen stayed quiet during a long moment, but eventually, he came in front of the kid, and he leant slowly against a wall. “It's thanks to my little sister that I wanted to become a doctor.”

Peter's curiosity was piqued, and he was both excited to discover things about Stephen, and glad to see that Strange trusted him more and more. “Really?”

A tiny smile played on Stephen's lips, as he nodded softly. 

Stephen's eyes were different. They were not as cold and expressionless as ordinary. They even lost their piercing and intimidating ability. 

They were just soft, gentle, and warm, lost in a dear memory.

“Yeah, Donna, she... When she was little, he got hurt. She fell, and she twisted her leg. I couldn't support to see her crying and in so much pain, so I reassured her, and I took care of her broken leg... And at that moment, as I was curing her, I understood that I'd always wanted to do that... You know... Being a doctor, saving lives, helping people to make them feel better, to see the relief in their eyes, their gratefulness. There's nothing more beautiful than this. ” 

That was what Stephen forgot, when his sister died. The most important, when you were saving lives, was not the huge number of operation you succeeded, or the records. 

It was just a patient's gratefulness and relief. 

“All this to say that... I know what it's like to do something for someone you love, so I can... I think I can understand...” 

It was a huge step, for Stephen. 

He had never talked about his sister. Normally, the subject ''Donna, Victor, and the rest of the Strange's family'' was forbidden. 

He believed that talking about Donna to Peter would be like daggers to his heart, but actually, when he saw joy and softness filling up the kid's eyes, Stephen didn't feel pain. 

It was the first time he didn't feel sadness, bitterness, or guilt when he was talking about his sister, since her death.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks for reading!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it, and I'm sorry, there's not much Strange/ Peter scenes in this chapter, but promise, there will be a lot of them in the next chapter.
> 
> In the next chapter, there will be tears, tears... And hugs... :)
> 
> Thanks for all your support! :)
> 
> WIX2


	6. Tears and Blood : Part I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING : This chapter is a little dark, there is a minor character injured, and an Emotional Hurt/Confort. :)
> 
> Hope you enjoy !:)
> 
> WIX2

Peter naively thought that it was going to be a normal day. Even a good day. There was no sign which might have proved him wrong, after all. 

He was peacefully having a walk with Aunt May on the streets of New-York. He was happy to be able to spend time with her, because between her job and Peter's occupations, it was difficult to have a moment together. 

They were exchanging light-hearted jabs, but suddenly, Peter's bright smile slowly faded away, and he started to glance nervously at his surroundings, looking for something specific without knowing exactly what he was looking for. 

Because his spidey senses were warning him about an imminent danger, strongly inciting him to run away as quickly as possible. 

He wasn't even listening what his aunt was saying, he was fully focused on the crowded street, his body tense and ready to act if necessary.

Suddenly, he fixed his gaze on a mysterious man, just a few meters away. This man drew his attention, because he wasn't walking like the others, and most of all, because he was staring intently at him, hands in pockets, a wicked grin on his lips. 

The second their eyes met, Peter knew the danger was this man, and that he was there for him. And he was right.

The mysterious guy pulled his right hand out his pocket. 

With a gun. 

Everything happened in slow motion. The man calmly raised his gun, aiming at Peter and Aunt May, and he pulled the trigger. 

The gunshot brutally broke the silence. 

The teenager did the first thing that went through his panicked mind: He jumped in front of his aunt, so that she wasn't in the line of fire. Unfortunately, even his superhuman reflexes were not as fast as a bullet, because the bullet hit its target, despite Peter's efforts. 

Aunt May collapsed in a loud thump, behind his back. 

Peter's blood ran cold, and his breath caught in his throat. He didn't even hear the horrified screams that followed. He didn't even see the wave of panic, as all the people started to run away desperately to get under cover, tears running down their cheeks, holding tight their frightened children. He didn't even pay attention to his attacker who, after a quick snigger, disappeared. He didn't even hear the ambulance sirens. He didn't even feel the fresh tears which escaped his wide eyes.

The world around him didn't exist any more. He was just seeing his aunt on the ground, a gaping, hideous, and bullet hole in her chest, with a pool of blood under her. 

Her blood. 

NO! Peter's mind yelled, but the heart-rending word couldn't come out of his compressed throat. 

Before he could rush towards his aunt to do something – anything – a couple of emergency doctors already surrounded her, preventing him from approaching. 

Peter couldn't think, he couldn't breathe, he couldn't even answer the adult who was talking to him. He was seeing his lips moving, but he was hearing no sound. In the corners of his eyes, Peter saw his aunt being quickly carried away, while the doctors tried to stabilize her. 

Without even realizing it, Peter ran away. He didn't really know where he was going, or where he wanted to go. His vision was beginning to blur. 

The hospital was the most logical choice, because that was where his aunt will be, but his disorientated and shocked mind couldn't picture the hospital.

He needed something else...

Some-place else...

///

“Peter?” Stephen said, confused.

The kid who was in front of the Sanctum looked beyond traumatized and heart-broken. He was deadly pale, and he trembled so much that it was a miracle he was still standing. His eyes were wide, and tears were flowing on his cheeks.

“S-Stephen...” The kid managed to choke out through his sobs. “I-I... I don't k-know...w-why I c-came h-here... I'm... I'm s-sorry...”

Strange didn't waste time. Gently, he grabbed Peter by the arm, and he brought him inside. “What happened?” He urged, frowning worriedly as his piercing eyes were scanning with great care Peter's body to see if he was hurt. 

But Strange only saw the symptoms of a panic attack : The kid's muscles were contracted, he was sweating, hyperventilating, and his sobs became more and more out of control. 

Stephen grabbed Peter by the arms, and he forced him to sit down on a chair. The kid didn't resist, mostly because he trusted Strange with his life, but also because his mind was fuzzy and his shaking legs couldn't support his weight any more. 

Strange got down on one knee so that his face was levelled to Peter's. “Look at me, Peter.” Stephen ordered calmly. 

When Peter raised his eyes to focus on Strange's blue gaze, the doctor continued slowly, articulating distinctly, “Breathe like I breathe. In...” Stephen's nostrils flared, “Out.” He breathed out loudly. 

The kid tried to follow Strange's movements. “That's right, breathe slower. You're doing great, kid. You're doing great. ” Stephen kept reassuring Peter, then he ordered firmly, “Take my forearm and squeeze it as hard as you can.”

Peter's shaking hand grabbed Stephen's forearm, and it squeezed it so strongly that Stephen had to bite his lower lip not to let out a moan. Maybe he underestimated the kid's strength... He didn't pull his arm away though, even when Peter's nails painfully scratched his skin to the blood.

“Good. Keep breathing. It's OK. ” The doctor whispered gently. 

After some moments, Peter's breathing went back to normal speed, and he let go Stephen's forearm as he sniffed. 

The kid curled up, and he wrapped his arms around his own waist, as if he was hugging himself. He kept looking down, avoiding Stephen's gaze. 

The sight of Peter looking that shattered hurt Stephen in ways he didn't know it still could. 

“It's my fault... Aunt May... Uncle Ben... It's my fault. It's always my fault... ” The kid's shaking voice was barely above a broken whisper, and Stephen felt his heart ache. 

The sorcerer didn't even understand why the teenager was saying that about his aunt, and why he was blaming himself for his uncle's death, but he didn't question him.

Because the teenager burst into tears, but it wasn't as brutal as before. It was as if the kid was too exhausted or too ashamed to cry properly. 

His sobs were faint, but they felt too loud to Stephen's ears. 

Strange acted on impulse : He wrapped his arms around Spider-Man's shaking body, and he held him tightly against his chest. 

Peter closed his eyes, buried his face into the sorcerer's neck, and his sobs intensified as he finally allowed himself to break down in Stephen's strong arms. 

Stephen said nothing, but he tenderly ran his hand over Peter's shoulders and up the sides of his neck, and back a few times. The gesture was simple, but more efficient than words. Because eventually, Peter stopped crying and he calmed down. 

The kid slowly pulled away, and he must have just realized what just happened: The hug, the panic attack, and when he glanced at Stephen's forearm which was a little bloodied, his pale face became even whiter with horror and shame. “I'm sorry...” He gasped out, “I'm sorry, I'm so sorry-” 

“Shut up, stupid kid. Don't you dare apologize.” Stephen groaned dryly. “What happened?”

The kid's features tensed up with worry. “Aunt May... I gotta go.” He tried to stand up, but Strange pushed him down firmly. 

“No way! I'm not letting you leave, stupid kid. You're still suffering from shock.” He refused sternly, crossing his arms and staying in front of Peter, to show that he wasn't going to change his mind.

“I gotta go to the hospital, she got shot...” Peter tried to yell angrily, but he could barely speak.

Stephen didn't show the shock and the horror he suddenly felt. Peter's aunt, shot? Why? By who? He had many questions, but he kept them for later. 

“Kid, I worked at the hospital, I know how it works. If your aunt got shot, she is currently into surgery. If you go to the hospital right now, you'll stay in the waiting room without any news for hours...”

“So I have to abandon her!? Whereas it's my fault?!” The kid managed to yell this time. It was the first time Stephen was seeing the kid angry, and even if he hated when someone was shouting at him, he stayed calm, because he knew the kid had to evacuate his rage. 

He frowned. “Did you shoot your aunt?” He asked calmly, raising his eyebrows. 

“No!”

“Then, it's not your fault.”

“You don't understand! It's my fault, just like with my uncle! It's my fault, it's always my fault!” He shouted hysterically, and Stephen just let the storm pass. “I gotta see her! See if she's still alive! Let me go!” 

As the kid saw that Stephen stayed where he was despite his cries of rage, he lost his aggressiveness, suddenly too tired to fight. “Please, Grumpy... Please.” His voice became weak and imploring, and it took everything in Stephen not to break apart.

“I'll go to the hospital. You, you stay here.”

Stephen wasn't doing that because he wanted to be cruel. It was even the opposite : The kid was deeply shaken up, so if Stephen was bringing him to the hospital, either the kid would hear that his aunt died and he would have to see her corpse, or his aunt would be in the coma at best, and he would be forced to see his aunt pinned in a hospital bed, kept alive only thanks to a machine. 

In both cases, the kid would be totally destroyed. 

So, Stephen decided to take things in hands: The kid will not lose his aunt. 

Not today. 

Not as long as Stephen was still breathing. 

Strange sighed, suppressing the guilt he started to feel, because of what he planned to do. “Sorry about that, Peter...”

The kid just had the time to frown, because Stephen gently put the palm of his hand on the kid's forehead, and he compelled him to fall asleep. 

Stephen carried him in his bedroom, gently laying him on his bed. Then, he took the kid's phone. 

He took a moment to watch the kid who was sleeping peacefully, and, without thinking, he bent down and he gently kissed Peter's forehead, as an apology. 

The Cloak went to cover Spider-Man, acting as a blanket. “Watch over him. I'll be back shortly.”

As he headed for the exit of his Sanctum, he used the kid's phone – which didn't have a password – and he called the last person he wanted to hear. However, he had to. 

The worried voice of Tony Stark answered hastily. “Kid, thanks God! Are you hurt? Where are you? Are you-”

“Hello, Stark.”

There was a stunned silence. 

“Strange...” Tony spat with disgust, as if it was an awful insult, “What are you doing with the kid's phone?”

Stephen didn't even bother to answer. He just got to the point, “Meet me at the hospital. Right now.”

“What makes you think that I can go to the hospital right now?” Tony groaned dryly. 

Stephen kept his calm tone, even if he was not in the mood to play. “Use your cute technology, Stark.”

He heard Tony groan. “Even if I could, there's a huge difference between what I can do and what I wanna do.”

Stephen sighed. “What if I say it's for the kid and I can save his aunt?”

The silence that followed proved that his comment worked. “If you lie, Strange, I swear...” Tony hissed, deadly threatening, but Strange interrupted him without any politeness, rolling his eyes, “Don't be late.”

“Don't give me orders, you piece of sh-”

Stephen hung up, and he conjured a portal up to go to the hospital, hoping that Aunt May would still be alive by the time he arrived.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks a lot for reading!:)
> 
> Yes, Stephen is determined to save Aunt May. ;)
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!
> 
> WIX2.


	7. Tears and Blood : Part II

When Tony finally arrived in the hospital, out of breath, Stephen was already in Aunt May's hospital room, sitting on a chair. 

The doctor didn't even move his head to watch Iron-Man enter. He didn't even flinch when Tony closed the close behind him, and approached him. He was just thoughtfully staring at Aunt May in her hospital bed. 

“You wanted me... Here I am.” Tony said dryly to break the suffocating silence, his arms spread out. He glanced sadly at Aunt May, but he quickly gave his attention to Strange, who seemed sullen. 

“No, Stark. I don't particularly want you to be here.” It was of course an abrupt remark, but his drawling voice was flat, as if Strange was too tired to use his ordinary sarcasm. “But I have no choice.”

“Where's the kid?” Tony asked harshly, narrowing his eyes. 

“In my Sanctum. He needed to rest.” Stephen answered vaguely. 

Tony wasn't happy with his answer, but he knew deep down that Stephen wasn't lying. “Why are you here, anyway? You discovered yourself a passion for dying people?” 

He knew it wasn't the moment, but he couldn't help it : Stephen had the incredible knack of bringing out the smart ass part of himself. 

However, he was also so devastated to see Aunt May in that state that he just needed to evacuate. 

That was Tony's main problem, after all : Instead of facing his emotions, he was using humour as his defences, to hide his fear, his weaknesses. Indeed, it was easier to be sarcastic than being honest, than being vulnerable. 

“I prefer to heal them.” Stephen replied tiredly. 

“How so?”

Without answering, Stephen stood up slowly – too slowly – and he headed for the bed. Cautiously, as if he was afraid that Aunt May would fall apart because of the touch, he put his both hands on her chest which was weakly heaving, and he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. 

Tony raised his eyebrows. “OK, perhaps I'm not a doctor, but I've seen enough Grey Anatomy's episodes to know that putting hands on a chest's patient and waiting for a miracle isn't the most efficient way of saving a life...”

Strange's lips formed an arrogant grin. “I'm not waiting for a miracle, Stark. I'm the miracle.”

Tony let out a dark laugh. “Right, and people say I'm the arrogant one...” 

Stephen opened his eyes, so that he could stare intently at the playboy. He took a moment to watch his face, probably looking for something specific, and he sighed roughly. “OK... Long story short: Magic exists, I'm a sorcerer and I'm going to use magic to heal the kid's aunt.”

Tony blinked. “That's... the biggest load of crap I've ever heard.” As Stephen was staring at him boringly, Tony asked, “OK, let's pretend that I do believe you... How do I know that you're not an evil wizard like Voldemort, and that you won't kill her?”

Stephen's jaw clenched, personally offended. “I don't kill, I save.” The honesty was so abrupt that for once, Tony believed him. “OK, and why am I here?”

Stephen winced. “I need your... help.”

When he heard the little pause Strange made, Tony couldn't help but smirk. “Painful to admit, isn't it?”

“I need you to stay by my side while I save her. It's a very long, slow, and exhausting process...”

“So, you just want me to stand here and look pretty?”

Stephen cocked his head, with his annoying cold, jaded, and illegible expression. “... And maybe save my sorry ass if every thing goes wrong.”

Tony would never admit it, even under torture, but he was admiring. Indeed, Stephen was easily telling him that what he was going to do could be dangerous for him, but he was still doing it, as if it didn't matter. 

That was... altruistic. He would never have imagined that the famous and heartless Doctor Stephen Strange was capable of that. 

Tony showed his best hypocritical smile. “Anything else, Princess?

Stephen forced himself not to get angry because of the nickname. “Yeah. Make sure no one's watching. Don't talk to me while I'm doing it. Your voice might distract me... And it'll give me a break.”

“Can you at least explain to me what you're gonna do, or is it too much for you?”

Stephen sighed, “The sorcerers have their powers because they take it from dimensional energies, that's to say something outside them, outside Earth, but they can also use their personal energies, within them. I'm gonna use the latter: I'm gonna give some of my own energy to her, and it will heal her injury. Got it?”

Tony stared at Stephen as if the latter was totally crazy, and he shook his head, choosing to be honest, “Not at all.”

Stephen rolled his eyes, but he didn't explain a second time. Instead, he took a deep breath, feeling ready. “And, don't interrupt me. It could kill me, and her.”

Tony just nodded, and Stephen began.

At first, nothing changed, but Tony bit his lower lip not to let out a sarcastic comment. Stephen's face was tensed because of concentration, so he stayed quiet. 

However, a sudden amber thread left Stephen's shaking hands which were pressed against Aunt May's chest, and it entered within Aunt May's body. 

Suddenly, Aunt May's entire body became translucent, so Tony could see the slow path of the magical amber thread within her, heading for the emplacement of the wound. 

He was so focused on this, totally speechless, that he didn't see Stephen's features tensing from pain, or the sweat drop which flowed in his temples. 

It took time, but eventually, Stephen stopped, taking a few steps back. Tony rushed towards Aunt May, to check on her. And... she was fine. 

No wound. 

As if nothing ever happened. 

Stephen leant forward a little, resting his hand on the edge of a table and Tony saw a little tremble in his body. “Are you OK?” The playboy asked, as he reached out and stabilized the sorcerer. 

Stephen almost gave all his personal energy to Aunt May. If he had given a little more, the consequences could have been more damaging... 

“Yeah...” He answered dryly, but his deep voice was so weak that Tony didn't believe him at all. He even had to hold Strange when the latter nearly fell from exhaustion. 

“Wow, easy, Stephanie!”

Stephen flinched in disgust, and he hissed through clenched teeth, “Don't call me that!” However, he was too weak physically to react angrily, so Tony was far from being impressed.

Tony helped the doctor sitting on a bed. Then, he took his jacket off, to put it gently on Stephen's cold and trembling shoulders. The doctor looked surprised by the gesture, but he didn't say a word, even huddling into the warm jacket with relief. 

“How are you feeling?” Tony asked. 

“Are you worried about me?”

Tony scorned, “Not at all, Dumbledore. I just don't want to have a future corpse next to me... I'm sure that even you, can be nicer than a corpse...” As Stephen glared at him, Tony added scornfully, “Yeah, maybe not...”

“Fuck you.”

Tony just rolled his eyes. “God, even when you don't feel well, you're bitchy...”

When Stephen glared at him a second time and opened his mouth, surely to reply harshly, Tony asked loudly, “Let's try again... How are you feeling?”

“I'm fine.” Stephen answered stubbornly. His pride didn't want to show any weakness in front of Tony Stark, even if he did feel dizzy. 

“Okay...” Tony sighed, thinking with annoyance that the man's stubbornness was even worse than his. 

“Take this.” He gave the doctor the cereal bar he always keeps in his pocket, and Stephen took it without arguing, with hands which shook more than usual, proving that he was not as well as he was affirming. 

As Strange started to eat it without a word of thanks, but clearly with relief, Tony raised a finger, “That was my last cereal bar! Remember that!”

He waited two seconds, before asking, “Could I go to your Sanctum to see the kid?”

The doctor shook weakly his head. “No, you can't.”

Tony frowned, “Why not? I know where it is-”

“My magic won't allow you to enter. I need to be t-there with you.”

Tony blinked, and he burst out laughing. It wasn't a mocking snigger, it was just a sincere and amused laugh. “No... You prevent me from entering your house?”

Stephen kept his cold expression. “Can you really blame me? I don't really like being threatened in my own house. Your surprise visit ruined my day.”

“I thought my ''pathetic armour'' could not beat you... Poor Stephanie, you're scared of me!” Tony mimed crying, whereas Stephen narrowed his eyes, a little offended. “Sorry to break your little heart, but I'm not scared of you at all.”

“Then, why did you do that?”

“Because I didn't want to see you... I think that's pretty obvious.” Stephen's drawling and mocking voice showed that he thought Tony was even dumber than he had imagined. 

Tony pointed sternly at him. “I'll allow that! Only because you look like hell.”

“So kind of you...”

Tony stared at him for a long moment, before rubbing nervously the back of his neck. “Look, I might be a little sorry...” As he saw the astonished look on Stephen's face, he ground his teeth. “Just a little! I admit that what I've done was not... cool. I was...”

“Detestable, unbearable, despicable?” Stephen suggested calmly, raising his eyebrows. 

Tony glared at him. “I was going to say ''worried for the kid''.”

“Oh yeah, you were that too...” The doctor agreed nonchalantly, but there was a tiny smirk on his lips. 

Tony seemed to struggle to stay calm and not to jump down Strange's throat. “Look, maybe we started off on the wrong foot...”

“So what? Do you want us to become best friends forever?”

“What- No! I don't want us to dance around a camp-fire, while we sing Hakuna Matata!” Tony could swear that he saw a tiny amused smile playing on Stephen's lips, but he just ignored it and continued, “Just... Maybe we can stay in the same room without trying to destroy each other with words, right?”

As Strange made a face, Tony sighed and he held out his hand to the doctor, “ I try if you try?” He admitted deep down that it existed better peace offerings, but he was just doing his best.

Stephen stared at Tony's hand for a long moment, but he eventually took and shook it briefly, “ I try if you try.” He repeated slowly, accepting the deal. 

But then, it was getting difficult for Stephen to stay conscious, as his tiredness hit him brutally. 

“Stephanie, are you OK...?” was the last thing Strange heard, before he lost consciousness.

///

“How are you feeling, Grumpy?” The gentle voice of Peter was the first thing Stephen heard, when he woke up.

He took him a moment, but he finally managed to open his heavy eyes, but it took him longer than it should to focus on the kid's face next to him. 

Stephen was astonished to see that he was in his Sanctum, lying down into his bed, the Cloak settled on his chest as a blanket. 

Peter was at Stephen's bedside, a soft smile on his lips. 

Gently, he took Stephen's right hand in his own. The doctor was too weak to pull it away, but he didn't protest, which means that he was allowing it. 

“F-fine.” He croaked. His throat was dry and it hurt when he talked. 

Peter was not fooled. “OK, and the honest version?”

As he asked, the teenager grabbed a glass of water he prepared a long time ago, while Stephen was sleeping. He understood that Strange was too tired to hold it by himself, so Peter gently held the glass to Stephen's lips and fed him half the content. 

When the sorcerer finished drinking, he told the truth, “I'm tired.” And god, he indeed felt tired. His limbs and eyelids were heavy. He was even struggling to stay awake. 

He turned to the Cloak, “Can you get out of my chest?” He asked gently, and the Cloak immediately went away from his chest, but it stayed closely near the bed. 

Peter gently nodded with compassion, and the doctor asked with a hoarse voice. “What are y-you doing here? You should be with your family, r-right now...”

“I am.” The kid replied, with utmost seriousness. The sincerity in Peter's gaze was a slap to the face, so Stephen ended speechless. The doctor could have stayed on this topic, saying how much he was touched by this answer, but when it comes to feelings, Stephen's a coward.

So, he changed awkwardly the topic, “How did I arrive here?” Then, a horrible idea appeared in his mind, and he winced. “Please don't tell me that Tony Stark carried me here...” 

He knew he was going to regret his question when the kid pursed his lips. “He did. He couldn't enter, but he brought you here... The Cloak and I put you to bed.”

Stephen groaned, and he even felt his cheeks burn in embarrassment. Great! He just fainted in front of Tony Stark, and on top of everything else, he carried him! 

He knew he would never hear the end of it. 

“How long did I sleep?”

“Twelve hours.”

“That's enough, then.”

He tried to get up, but Peter firmly pushed him down, keeping him lying on his back by pressing his hand against the doctor's chest. “No way! You need to rest!” He ordered sternly, with a firm gaze. 

Stephen was too weak to vie with the kid's strength, so he just groaned,“I believe I rested enough...”

Peter hissed, “OK, I'm gonna make this simple, if you try to get up again, I web you to the bed!”

“You wouldn't dare...” Strange replied, but not as confidently as he would like. 

As an answer, Peter moved quickly his hand towards Stephen's arms, ready to web.

“OK, OK!” Stephen gave up hastily, when he understood the kid wasn't bluffing. When he saw the proud smile on the kid's face, he groaned, “Don't smile, stupid kid! You're lucky I can't use my magic right now.” 

Peter burst out laughing. “Hey, let me enjoy the fact that I'm temporary stronger than you!”

Stephen rolled his eyes with a tiny smile, but he quickly became serious again. “I'm sorry, kid.” He whispered shamefully. 

“For what?”

Stephen swallowed with difficulty, struggling to keep the eye contact. “You know what... I forced you to sleep, I betrayed you trust-”

“Shut up, Grumpy.” The kid interrupted him firmly, but with a soft gaze, “Keep your saliva when you will really have to be sorry for something.”

Strange nodded, and he asked gently, “How's your aunt?” 

“She's fine, she's getting some rest, and Tony is with her...” He squeezed gently Stephen's hand, as he whispered warmly, “Thank you.”

“Don't mention it.”

“I want you to promise me something, though.”

Stephen just frowned, so the kid continued, “Tony told me that what you've done to save my aunt was dangerous for you... You even felt pretty bad and-”

“Don't listen to him. He exaggerated...”

“No, he didn't! Look, I'm very grateful, I don't know if I could even thank you enough for what you've done, but I don't want you to put your life in danger... So, promise me you won't risk your life for me...”

“I didn't risk my life... I just gave a little of my personal ene-” However, Stephen stopped himself when he saw Peter's almost begging gaze. So, he just bit his lower lip. “OK... Promise.”

Peter nodded, satisfied. “Good. Because if you break this promise, I'm gonna be very, very angry, and you'll regret it.”

Stephen couldn't help but chuckle. “That was supposed to be threatening?”

Peter nodded hastily, with a bright smile on his amused face. “Yes! Believe me, I'm pretty terrifying when I'm angry! I become red and I'm stammering! You would want nothing more than to run screaming for the hills...”

Strange rolled his eyes. “No doubt about it...”

Peter laughed, and then, he bent down to take his school bag, and he retrieved an incalculable number of food packets. “I brought you this: Fruit, fruit, and... fruit. I hope you like fruit, Grumpy. I'm sorry I only brought you fruit, I mean, I went to the first supermarket I could find because you needed to eat something, but I went in the rush so I only took fruit and-”

Stephen interrupted him, forcing his lips not to smile tenderly. “That's perfect, don't worry.”

Peter set the food on the floor, near the bed. “You better eat every single piece of fruit I brought you.”

Stephen raised his eyebrows. “Otherwise you'll be very, very angry and I'll regret it?”

Peter smiled. “Exactly.”

Stephen became serious again. He swallowed, asking with worry, “Peter... The Protector didn't work... Why?”

Peter instinctively touched the necklace's pendant with fondness. “I think it did... I mean, it didn't warn you, that's true, but I think it was because I was not the target. Well, I believe it was to make me suffer, but the guy wanted to do so by killing my aunt. Technically, I was not in danger. But, I thought about it... And I think my Protector ''forced'' me to go to your Sanctum, instead of the hospital. So, it leaded me to a safe place.”

Stephen nodded, and he started to say hastily, “We need to know who attacked your aunt and-”

“Right now, you need to sleep, Grumpy.” Peter ordered sternly, putting an end to Stephen's quick and almost panicked tirade. 

Stephen couldn't hide the fact that he was a bit annoyed to be treated as a kid. “Since when did you turn into a mother?”

“Since a grumpy child decided to be a doctor, at the risk of his life.” Peter replied bluntly. Then, he teased, smiling with his teeth, “Do you want me to read you a story?” 

If Stephen was able to move, he would have thrown something to the kid. “Stupid kid.”

Peter chuckled, and he commanded gently, “Just sleep. I'll stay here.”

Stephen managed to weakly shake his head. “You should join your aunt-”

“That was not a proposition, Grumpy. I'm staying here.”

Stephen sensed Peter's stubbornness, so he didn't insist. “Alright... Make yourself at home.”

Peter winked. “As always.” They share a quick smile, before Peter ordered again, more firmly this time, “Sleep, Doc.”

Stephen stubbornly kept his eyes open, because he wanted to stay awake for the kid. 

However, when Peter disloyally started stroking the doctor's cheek with a finger, and then, running his fingers through Stephen's hair, it was becoming more and more difficult to stay awake, because these gentle movements were soothing, and that was of course the kid's purpose. 

Little by little, the sorcerer blinked slowly, heavily, until he could no longer keep his eyes open. 

And he fell asleep, Peter by his side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks a lot for reading!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this new chapter! The next chapter, we will know who tried to kill Aunt May. :)
> 
> Thanks for your kind support.
> 
> WIX2


	8. Tears and Blood : Part III

Peter was trying to focus on the words he was reading, under the warm covers of his bed, but a familiar noise interrupted his reading.

“Hi, Grumpy!” He exclaimed joyfully, as Stephen emerged calmly from the portal he created in the kid's bedroom. The doctor glanced at his surroundings, and he asked with disgust, “Do you ever clean your bedroom?”

Peter just smiled. “It's good to see you too.”

Muttering to himself, Stephen sat on Peter's bed in front of the teenager without asking the permission, as if he was at home. 

Spider-Man asked playfully, “Did you eat every piece of fruit I brought you and sleep well in my absence?”

“Yes, Mummy.” Stephen scoffed, rolling his eyes, while Peter laughed freely. Then, the sorcerer said, “I wanted to check on you.” 

He admitted the reason of his visit without being ill at ease, which was clearly a progress, given that showing feelings was not Stephen's best asset. The kid smiled tenderly and gratefully, as he closed his book and put it on his bedside table. “I'm fine, Grumpy, don't worry.”

Strange frowned, and he showed his best stern and sceptical expression. “Your aunt's been shot in front of you two days ago. Don't lie to me and say there's nothing wrong. You can't face this alone.”

Weirdly, the last comment made Peter briefly laugh. “Trust me, Grumpy. I'm not alone: My aunt comes every five minutes to see if I'm OK, I've got twenty calls a hour from Tony, his ''armour army'' protects my aunt just in case, and on top of everything else, I've got you, so I think it's enough, I have good people around me.”

Stephen admitted deep down that the kid wasn't wrong, but he didn't have the time to object, because Peter added with a confident voice, “I'm fine, truly.”

Stephen just stared at him. “You're afraid to be in the dark, aren't you?”

The kid's confident expression brutally faded away and he winced, proving that Stephen touched a nerve. 

“How did you guess?” Peter asked with a quiet voice. 

“It's late and it's clearly the moment when you usually go to sleep, but your bedroom is strongly floodlit. You don't need to be a genius to understand.”

Peter just sighed for a long time. “It's just... I don't want to be in the dark, because...” He made a hesitant pause, looking for the right words to employ, but Stephen anticipated with a bored tone, “Because you're afraid that if you're in the dark, or if you close your eyes, the imagery of your aunt's injured body could come back.”

The kid frowned. “How do you know that?”

Stephen nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders. “Again, that's obvious.” He glanced gently at him, before he assured firmly, “And it's normal, Peter.”

Peter stared at him for a long moment, narrowing his eyes. He had the feeling that Stephen understood more his ''night problem'' than he wanted to show, as if he already lived it, before. However, even if he was curious, he let it go, for now. 

“Yeah, but that's annoying, and I don't know how to make it stop.” 

Before the sorcerer could share any advice, the kid asked, “Do you have any news from the guy who tried to kill my aunt?”

Stephen sighed sadly, as he shook his head to express a negative answer. 

“But we'll find him.” He assured him coldly, with a burning determination into his blue eyes. 

A sweet warmth diffused within the kid's chest, when he heard the pronoun ''We''. He was reassured that Stephen will help him, all the more since Tony also promised that he will do his best to catch Peter's attacker.

And it felt good, to have these two by his side, knowing that they will never abandon him. 

Just like a family. 

“Can I ask you a personal question?” Stephen asked, almost shyly.

“Of course.” Peter answered straight away, and Strange felt a little humbled by how quickly Peter was willing to share his life with him.

“Why are you blaming yourself, about your uncle's death?”

There was a sudden glimmer of pain in the kid's eyes, and he stammered, destabilized by the question. “Well, I... It's...”

Looking at the kid's trouble and fragility, Stephen shook quickly his head, “Sorry, it's probably not the best time, I shouldn't have asked...”

“No... It's just... It's just-”

“You're afraid that I might judge you?”

The kid didn't trust his voice to speak, so he just nodded weakly as he pursed his lips. 

Stephen shook his head with an almost harsh look, probably thinking that the kid was a complete idiot, before he sighed sadly, “Peter, I'm not perfect or a good Samaritan. Trust me, I've done mistakes. Some of them might be forgiveable or justifiable, but others clearly aren't... All this to say, it doesn't matter what you're gonna say, I won't judge you. Because I'm pretty sure I've done worse.”

“I won't be so sure about it...” The teenager muttered darkly, but Stephen glanced at him firmly, “I believe you're a good kid. Nothing will change that, Peter.”

A little smile crossed the kid's face, lighting up briefly his sullen expression. “That was a compliment, Doc...”

Strange winced uncomfortably, “Don't get used to it.”

“Knowing you, I won't.” Peter smiled faintly, but he quickly became serious. He stared at his hands, twiddling nervously his fingers, and he sighed roughly to gather his bravery. 

“When I got my powers, I... I had never intended to save people with them. So... At first, I used them to win money, and all the crimes that I could have stopped, at that time?” The kid sadly shrugged, biting hardly his lower lip as a punishment, “I just ignored them, because I thought they were not my problem...”

He made a quick pause, probably to see if Stephen would get up from the bed and leave, or even express his disgust. But instead of that, the sorcerer stayed where he was, making sure to keep his face neutral as he patiently waited for the kid to continue. 

“But one day, I was on the top of a building, and I saw a hold-up man running away, after stealing. I could have stopped him, but as usual, I just let it happen. However, this time, things were different, because my uncle was in the same street as him-”

The kid had to make a break, because his voice broke. He had tears in his eyes, but they didn't fall. Stephen's heart rate rushed faster than its normal tempo, because he dreaded the rest of the story. 

“And my uncle tried to stop him, but he got shot, and...” He swallowed, “He died... He's been killed by the man I ignored.” 

A single tear squeezed from the corner of his right eye, but he quickly wiped that lonely tear, as he ended bitterly, “So you see... I'm not as good as you think, finally...”

He shamefully avoided Stephen's gaze, because he was scared of what he might see, into these blue eyes. Disgust, disappointment, contempt?

However, the first reaction was a long sigh. “Peter...”

It was weird to listen to Stephen pronouncing the kid's name so gently, but the kid didn't dare to move a muscle. When he continued, Strange's voice was colder, but without any judgement or disgust. “I don't see any of this being your fault...”

Peter raised his eyes widened from surprise, but his throat was too compressed to allow him to object. 

Stephen learnt forward a little, so that his piercing gaze was closer to Peter's face, and he talked slowly, “Peter, your uncle's death, it was not an accident, it was a murder: Your uncle had been killed by a hold-up man who willingly shot an innocent man, ready to kill him, just so that he could run away... You're not the one who pulled the trigger, so you're not responsible.”

“I could have stopped him!”

However, Peter's weak protest didn't shake the doctor. “Yeah, maybe you could have... Or maybe not... Maybe, that day, if you had tried to stop the criminal, he could have shot you, or anybody else... We don't know what could have happened, if you had intervened, Peter. We don't know, and we will never know. However, the thing that I do know, it's that the only responsible of a murder is the murderer, kid.”

These wise words didn't completely fulfilled their job, because the kid still shook his head, blinded by his guilt. “No... I'm trying in a pathetic attempt to rectify my dumb mistakes!”

Stephen contradicted him firmly, “What I see, this is a teenager who actually learnt from his mistakes. The most important thing is who you are now, and right now, you're a brave and altruistic kid who risks his life to save others, to protect his city, and I'm sure your aunt is very proud of you, as she should be. I can assure you that I don't think less of you, because of that.”

Stephen would have imagined that it would be quite hard to pour a little his heart out to Peter, but the words were just coming out easily. 

There was a long and suffocating silence, in which Stephen counted every second. “Thank you.” Peter just said with a tiny voice Stephen almost failed to hear. 

The sorcerer just raised his eyebrows, struggling to keep his cold expression. “For being honest?”

“No... For being there... For being you.”

Stephen just nodded, but he didn't comment. Instead of that, he just ordered sternly, “You need to sleep now.”

“I'm scared.” Peter admitted, with a so much vulnerable whisper that Stephen didn't even hesitated: He went to the bed-head so that he could press his back against the pillows, and he spread his arms, inviting Peter to hug. “Come here.” 

He saw that the kid was staring at him with wide eyes without moving, dumbfounded, so Stephen groaned dryly, “Quickly, stupid kid, before I change my mind!” 

The kid didn't need to be told twice. He rushed towards Stephen, and he nestled against the doctor, resting against his chest as the sorcerer wrapped his strong arms around the kid's body, like a protective shield. 

“Careful, Doc... You're getting soft.” The kid joked, listening to the steady and comforting rhythm of the sorcerer's heart.

Strange hissed, and he pretended to throw the kid away from his arms, “OK, I changed my mind. Get out of my chest.”

Peter chuckled weakly, as he held the adult more tightly. “Hey! I never said it was bothering me!”

Stephen groaned, and even without glancing at the doctor's face, Peter knew he was blushing and clenching his jaw.

“Don't get used to it, stupid kid! That's just an exception.”

The kid laughed, “You don't like hugs?”

Stephen replied sarcastically, “It might surprise you, but I'm not a big fan of being an alive pillow.” As Peter just smiled, the doctor muttered, being actually grumpy, this time, “This could ruin my reputation.” 

The kid chuckled, and he teased with a smug smirk, “Don’t worry. No one will know that the proud and strong Doctor Strange hugs a terrified kid. Your secret is safe with me ”

“What's that supposed to mean?”

“That you have a heart of gold.” Peter answered honestly, knowing that this would annoy Stephen, and would make him blush harder.

“Say that again!” 

As a sweet revenge, Stephen started to viciously tickle the kid trapped in his arms. As he laughed, Peter tried to get free, but he just wiggled helplessly, “OK, OK! Stop, I take back what I said! You're mean, you're a heartless jerk!”

“Better.” Stephen laughed briefly, really proud of himself, but he stopped. “You better not drool on me, stupid kid!” He then threatened with a false annoyance, making the kid chuckle. 

Peter waited a long moment, not feeling ready to close his eyes, but he felt safe in Strange's arms, and thanks to his reassuring presence, he managed to close his eyes, focusing on the doctor's breathing and calm heartbeat to distract himself.

And he fell asleep easily, without thinking about his aunt injured. 

///

“God, Wong, you're such a drama-queen.” Stephen rolled his eyes disrespectfully, as he dodged a fast punch thrown by Wong.

They were training in the Sanctum to hand-to-hand combat. Shirtless, Stephen was sweating, and almost breathless. Indeed, Wong was a formidable opponent, fast and unpredictable, but the doctor improved fast, being as dangerous as his friend. 

Wong glared at him, “I'm a drama-queen? Stephen, do you realize what you have done?”

Stephen feigned to the left, aiming for Wong's shoulder when his target has been his knee, but Wong blocked the kick easily. “I just saved an innocent woman, I don't think that should start World War III...”

Wong grumbled, “It's not only about that! Magic must stay secret, and you just revealed it to two people, Spider-Man and Iron-Man, congratulations!”

Stephen almost objected that Aunt May was probably aware of magic as well, just as Tony and Peter, but he chose to swallow this reply. He moved back, stretching his body. 

“I trust them, Wong.” Stephen blinked, and he made a face, thinking that it was probably not really the case concerning Tony, “OK... Perhaps just one of them...”

Wong kept his super-serious face, but he accepted to end their physical fight. “That's not a joke! Magic must stay unknown, it's the law of-”

“Of who? Of the great Agamotto?” Stephen replied violently, with so much disgust that Wong frowned sternly. 

He whispered darkly, “Show a little respect, Strange. You're talking about the father of the mystics arts.”

“I prefer to respect the livings! What was I supposed to do? Let the kid and his aunt die ?”

“That's sad, but yes. Magic mustn't be used to save dying people, because they will know about it! ”

Stephen was really getting angry, now. “Wong, I've studied magic for years, and it's not to do nothing! I had the powers, the capacity to save them both; The woman and the kid, so I did it! I don't see why that should be a problem!”

“Because you modified the natural law! Your duty is to protect it, not playing with it!”

Stephen's eyes were burning with anger. “So what? That's what I should have done? Looking Spidey in the eye, and tell him that I can save his aunt, but I won't, because it's against the natural law?”

“Yes.” Wong's tone was dry and without defect. 

However, Stephen kept his defiant attitude, and he spat aggressively, as he raised his chin, “You know what? I'm glad I did it, and I would do it again and again, even if I have to defy the great Agamotto and modify his damn natural order! I don't give a fuck.” 

“That's just illegal, Stephen.” Even if Wong was mostly reprimanding the doctor, his voice was gentler, because deep down, he agreed with Stephen. However, his respect for the magical laws was stronger than his personal opinion. 

“I couldn't let the kid lose someone else, Wong! He already lost so much...” Stephen's voice was not as harsh as before. He sighed, rubbing his tired face with both hands, “I know what it's like to lose all your family, one after the other... And the kid doesn't deserve that.”

This confession actually destabilized Wong a little, who sighed sadly. “Stephen... You must understand... You're a formidable sorcerer, but if you continue to be that defiant, you will pay the cost!”

“Will you tell the council about that?” Stephen asked, trying to suppress the fear in his voice, but he failed miserably. He knew what he was risking: It could be a simple punishment, or, if he wasn't lucky, it could be a banishment. Even his magic could be removed from him. 

Wong just raised his eyebrows. “About what? Nothing happened, I don't know what you're talking about.”

Stephen smiled gratefully, as he whispered, “Thank you.” 

However, Wong didn't soften in the least. “I probably won't do that a second time, Stephen.” 

Suddenly, Stephen felt a presence, near his house. Tony Stark... Great!

As he groaned, Wong just raised his eyebrows, but he smirked a little. “I see you have a lovely company who is waiting for you, outside.”

Stephen made a face, as he snapped his fingers to allow Tony to enter his house. He didn't even see that Wong disappeared through a portal, letting him alone facing Tony.

“Hi, Merlin, I-” Whatever Tony wanted to say next died in his throat.

He did his best to ignore Strange's naked torso, but it was difficult. The hideous blue robes the sorcerer was wearing all the time were doing nothing to highlight his body, so he didn't expect the doctor to be that muscular. 

Indeed, his torso was an endless planes of defined muscles, with long and strong arms and, he was broad-shouldered.

It was... a pleasing sight. 

“Is there something I can help you with?” The drawling and deep voice of Stephen interrupted brutally his daydream.

“Huh...” He swallowed to humidify his suddenly dry throat, “Could you put something on?”

Stephen raised his eyebrows, astonished by the request, so Tony felt obliged to justify himself, “You could at least welcome your guest properly...” By saying that, he gestured towards the doctor's naked torso. 

“An unwanted guest.” Stephen said with a smug grin, crossing his arms against his chest. This movement was not to hide his exposed torso, but just to show his stubbornness. 

“Sure, but...” Tony cleared his throat, “Still a guest.”

Strange rolled his eyes, but he deigned to put a shirt, hiding his... beautiful torso. “Happy, Stark?”

“Peachy, Merlin.”

“What do you want?”

Tony looked offended, “Why do you automatically think that I want something?”

Stephen kept his illegible expression. “I assume you didn't come here to enjoy the scenery of my Sanctum...”

“Well, it could be because I like your company...” As Stephen stayed jaded, the playboy made a face, “Yeah, not very probable...”

“Why are you here? And please, tell me it's interesting.”

Tony just raised confidently his eyebrows, “It's definitively interesting, Stephanie. I know who's the son of a bitch who shot the kid's aunt.”

Stephen slowly felt a satisfied smirk crossing his face. 

Finally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks for reading!:)
> 
> Sorry, we will actually know who tried to kill Aunt May in the next chapter, because Tony and Stephen will team up to find him!:)
> 
> Thanks for the support, and I hope you're still enjoying this!:)
> 
> WIX2


	9. Tears and Blood: Part IV

“It took you long enough...” Stephen said with a bored and an unimpressed tone, his arms crossed, just to piss Tony off. 

And it worked.

“You're welcome.” Tony replied harshly. However, he ended up sighing deeply, as if he needed to prepare himself for what he was going to say, “First of all, I wanted to thank you for what you've done... It's thanks to you that Aunt May is alive.”

Even if Stephen was turning his back on him disrespectfully in favour of putting back in place the furniture he had moved to make room for his training fight, he glanced curiously at him with a surprised expression. “You're not as a jerk as I thought.”

Tony didn't know if that was a compliment, or just an other way to make barbed comments about him, but he chose to ignore it. 

He just smiled bitterly. “I have my moments.”

When Stephen turned towards him, a smug smirk was playing on his lips. “Please, feel free to continue your thanks... It was a good start.” 

Tony narrowed his eyes, responding to this provocation. “I won't give you that satisfaction, Merlin.”

Strange rolled his eyes, but he became serious again, “You didn't tell the kid that you found him, did you?”

“Am I so predictable?”

The doctor calmly shook his head. “No. It's just that I would do the same thing: The kid doesn't have to take care of that. He deserves tranquillity”

Tony slowly headed for Strange, until he was close enough. He had to hold his head high to look Stephen in the eye, because of the size difference. “For once, we agree, Stephanie.”

“It's Stephen, or Doctor Strange.” The sorcerer hissed dryly through clenched teeth, despite knowing that this correction was useless.

Tony still wasn't moving. Stephen blinked, confused by this sudden closeness without really knowing why, but he managed to ask calmly, “How did you find him?”

“Thanks to my limitless brightness, Doctor Strange.”

Stephen showed his best hypocritical smile. “Can you share any detail?”

“Alright.” Finally, Tony took a few steps back, and it was suddenly easier for Stephen to breathe. “I wanted to understand why someone could go after the kid, so I imagined that Peter made enemies, during his ''Spider-Man missions''.” 

As Stephen wasn't saying anything, Tony asked, “Do you remember the amazing meeting between you and Peter?”

“You mean, when the kid was dying at a street corner?” The doctor asked nonchalantly, as if he was announcing the weather, but Tony wasn't fooled: He knew deep down that Strange was not indifferent about this memory, contrary to what he was claiming.

Tony nodded, “Yeah. That day, the kid had the brilliant idea to prevent a robbery from happening. If we forget the fact that he's been badly hurt, his intervention retarded the hold-up men, so one of them got caught by the police.”

“And this man...” As Stephen made an uncertain pause, Tony shook his head. “He's now in jail, so it's not him.”

Stephen raised his arms in frustration, “Then, what's the link?”

“Patience, Stephanie...” Tony smirked when he saw Stephen's lips twitch in annoyance, “I started to be interested in him, and I learnt that this arrested burglar doesn't have any family, expect a big brother: John Terry” 

By saying that, Tony tapped his watch, and a blue projection of a picture appeared above his wrist. It was an image of a tall and unknown man wearing grey clothes and round glasses. “Friday compared this image to the few amateur videos captured, to film the street right after the gun shot, and it detected his presence : This man was there.”

Stephen rubbed his eyes, “Alright, let's pretend that it's him... How could he discover the kid's identity? He was wearing a mask-”

Stephen was interrupted by Tony's voice, “Well, he wasn't wearing the mask all the time, was he?”

Stephen frowned, as he was remembering that particular day. “Yeah... I removed it, just so that I could touch his forehead to cure him...”

“So, his face was clear...” Tony whispered knowingly, and Strange instinctively scowled, “Are you saying it's my fault?” He groaned harshly, on the defensive. 

Tony raised and placed his hands on each side of himself to show his innocence, “Easy, Stephanie, I'm not saying that... But while you were curing him, you didn't watch your surroundings. This John Terry was probably part of the burglars. So, it's logic that he was close...”

“He saw the kid's face...” Stephen whispered, rubbing his face tiredly. 

The worst part was that this John Terry probably saw his magic as well, as he was watching the kid being cured. Great, another person was aware of it, now. There was no doubts about it: Wong was going to rip his head off.

Tony finished darkly, “And he decided to take revenge... Because his little brother got caught because of Peter...”

“Shit.”

Tony just nodded, as he winced, “Couldn't have said it better.”

There was a short and rather tense silence, before the genius sighed, “Unfortunately, I know the guy's identity, but I don't know where he is hiding.”

Stephen jumped at the opportunity to sting, “And I thought your brightness had no limits...”

Tony narrowed his eyes, “Remember that I found out all of this on my own, while you were twiddling your thumbs.”

Stephen frowned darkly at Tony, and he whispered dangerously, “I was busy, Stark...”

“Like?”

Stephen raised scornfully an eyebrow, “Like saving and protecting the reality, dumb-ass.”

God, how Tony wanted to punch him in the face, just to wipe his sneer off his pretty face. He didn't even know why Stephen was annoying him so much. 

However, he managed to control himself, as he cleared his throat, “''I try if you try'', remember?”

Stephen groaned and gritted his teeth, but he accepted to soften the best he could, which was... being horribly cold, but not aggressive. That's something. 

“OK... What's my role in this?” 

“I need your help, to track him.”

Stephen briefly closed his eyes, and he sighed, completely exhausted, “Tony, I need more than just a picture. I can't track somebody with nothing.”

Tony blinked, confused by his name being suddenly employed, but then he smirked, “Don't worry, Stephanie... I already knew you were not too bright, so I brought you this.” 

He totally ignored Stephen who was giving him a dirty look, and he removed from his pocket a small plastic pouch which contained a lock of hair. He waited until Stephen took it, before asking,“Will that be enough for your little magic trick?” 

Stephen didn't even ask how Tony could have found John Terry's lock of hair, so he glanced firmly at him,“If I help you with that, I come with you.” 

Tony took that as a yes. However, Stephen guessed that this deal wasn't enchanting Iron-Man at all, because the latter winced, “Don't you have ''wizard reality business'' to take care of?”

“Unfortunately for you, no.”

“It was worth the try.” Tony muttered under his breath. “So, can you track him?”

Stephen nodded dryly, “Yes. I could create a portal where his is currently hiding thanks to his DNA. Any question before we go?”

“Yeah...” Tony made a short pause, before asking, “Do you really walk around semi-naked in your house?”

Stephen let out an annoyed groan. “I was training, Stark.”

This answer surprised Tony, who raised his eyebrows. “You learn how to fight?” As Stephen just nodded coldly, Tony frowned, “What's the point? I mean, you already have your mumbo jumbo spells and your little magic wand to kick people's asses...”

“True, but I don't want to be dependent...” Stephen glanced intently at him, while the Cloak of Levitation was settling on his shoulders, and he ended the conversation, “Ready, Stark?”

A determined and confident glint appeared into the playboy's eyes, as he nodded. “Born ready, Stephanie.”

///

While the pair was walking through a little wood, heading for John Terry's hideout which was a little log cabin, Stephen brutally stopped, a few meters away from the house, “There's something wrong, Stark.”

It wasn't the sentence on its own which was frightening. It was Stephen's voice which lost its usual confidence and nonchalance. 

This time, his dry tone was unsure, almost afraid.

“What do you mean?” Tony asked hastily, frowning with concern, but he stopped as well. 

Stephen raised his hand and he started to slowly move his fingers, but the more he moved them, the more his confused expression became darker, which showed that whatever was happening was not supposed to happen. “My magic... I can't access to it any more.”

“Are you kidding me?” Tony hissed, as he moved towards Strange to get closer, “Why can't you-”

However, he didn't have the time to join him, because something strong blocked him, like an invisible wall. “Strange, that's not funny!” Tony spat, as he tried to advance, but he just couldn't, staying seperate from the sorcerer. 

“That's not me, something is blocking my powers and is keeping you out...” Then, Strange's eyes widened, as he whispered, “An anti-magic shield.”

Stephen didn't know the shield's extent, but he knew for sure it was coming from the little log cabin. He didn't even hesitate. After all, Stephen was trapped inside the shield, so he could try something. “I'm going in. Stay here!”

Tony almost choked, “What? Come on, Stephanie, don't be as stupid as you look! You can't use your powers, you're alone, and you decide to walk into the trap?”

“That's why I'm training half-naked in my Sanctum, dumb-ass!” Stephen replied brutally, as he was going away towards the house. 

“Stupid bastard!” Tony groaned in frustration, but Stephen was already too far away, and he already entered the house.

Stephen didn't have to walk for a long time. Indeed, at the entrance was laying John Terry's corpse. It was at that moment that Strange understood that this burglar couldn't be the one who made that shield.

Because only sorcerers could.

“Hello, Stephen.” A cold voice hissed on his right. A deep voice Strange could recognize everywhere. And Mordo suddenly stepped out of the shadows, being just in front of Strange, a disgusted smirk on his face. 

Stephen was too shocked to form any coherent words. 

“It's been a long time...” As Mordo saw that Stephen almost had his mouth wide open, he chuckled, although it sounded a bit forced, “An unique surprise, isn't it?”

It was not only the fact of Mordo being here which was a shock: The kind, gentle and wise mentor Stephen had known was gone. Instead, Strange was only seeing a cruel, and cold-blooded murderer. 

Stephen managed to stammer, “J-John Terry?”

“Oh, him?” Mordo coldly pointed at the burglar's corpse at his feet, “You mean, the criminal who was aware of magic thanks to your altruistic rescue? You can see that he won't be a problem any more.”

He then hissed with irony, “Congratulations, by the way. I see you take your duty as a master of the mystics arts very seriously.”

For a moment, Stephen wondered how Mordo could have known about Peter's rescue, but it was clear : He was watching him, probably thanks to spies. 

“I could say the same to you, Mordo.” Stephen finally managed to reply, as he moved dryly his chin towards the burglar's corpse. “That's what you do, now? You kill every person who is aware of magic, and every person who uses magic, just like Jonathan Pangborn?”

The fact that he quickly regained his collected attitude took a little Mordo by surprise. “It's necessary, Strange. It's something you don't understand...”

“Oh no, not this ''preserving the natural law'' bullshit again.” Stephen rolled his eyes, being really sick and tired of hearing that over and over. “So what? You want to kill every sorcerer from Kamar-Taj, because they're a threat to the world?”

Mordo nodded despite Stephen's mocking and angry tone, “The bill always comes due. All the power the sorcerers take limitless, it will bring harmful consequences.”

Stephen raised his voice, “You are bringing the harmful consequences, Mordo. You're destroying innocent lives, you fool! You're destroying Kamar-Taj, and all the people the Ancient One cured-”

“Do not talk to me about this abomination!” Mordo suddenly yelled, his face contorted with hatred. 

Stephen barked a dark laugh, “So, it's all about it, isn't it? You're just upset by the Ancient One's little secret. Pathetic. ”

Mordo's all body tensed, “Choose your next words wisely, Strange.”

Stephen sneered at Mordo, not intimidated in the least, “Otherwise you'll kill me? Is that not why you're here?”

“I'm not here to kill you. I need you alive.”

This revelation didn't reassure Stephen at all. “How did you know I would come here?”

“Because the burglar was a threat to the kid, so I knew you would try to find him, eventually. So, I had to find his little hiding place before you do... By the way, I do wonder how the woman survived.” 

He was staring intently at Stephen, perfectly knowing who was behind Aunt May's survival. “You seemed to be pretty attached to this kid, Strange. I assume he knows about magic as well, judging by how many times he goes to the New-York Sanctum?”

Stephen's heart froze because of fear, but his face stayed neutral, “He doesn't know anything. I erased his memory, after I cured him. He just comes to say hello, but he thinks I'm a normal doctor. There's nothing more. ”

He was hoping that Mordo would believe his lie, and his enemy seemed to do so, because he said, “Oh don't worry, I won't kill the kid or his aunt only because you healed them. I'm not that cruel : After all, they're not using magic, so they're not a problem... ”

As long as they don't know about it... Stephen finished in his mind, feeling nauseous. He decided to change the topic, “So, you need me alive... Why?”

“Because you have information I want.”

Stephen replied, with a burning and infallible determination, “...Information I will never give you, Mordo.”

Mordo was not surprised in the least by this strong refusal. He even smiled darkly, “That's the point... If you won't give up the information I'll ask, I'll make you.”

Suddenly, they both shifted into a battle stance. Stephen knew that he had no chance to win without magic, but his blue eyes were still burning with defiance, showing that he would still fight stubbornly. 

He would not give up, even if he was clearly put at a disadvantage.

A contemptuous grin crossed his face, as he spat with disgust, “So, that's how you wanna do it, Mordo? Me, being without magic?”

Mordo smiled, calmly shaking his head, “No. I respect you too much for that.” He raised his hand, and suddenly, Stephen felt his power, his familiar magic, running again through his body, now accessible. “Consider it an... old instinct from our most amicable days.” 

“Then, this shield... What's the point of it?”

“We won't be disturbed.”

Stephen's jaw clenched, knowing that Tony couldn't enter the shield, but he kept his chin raised as he faced Mordo without fear, which amused his enemy. “Do you really think you stand a chance, Strange? I've been dancing with you, during our training fights.”

“I improved. There's always a moment when the student surpasses the master.” Stephen hissed, as he moved sharply his hands to create a large gold shield in each hand. 

Mordo didn't even flinch, and he laughed freely, “I was hoping you would say that.”

And then, the fight was on.

Mordo formed a glittering silver sword in one hand, and he threw it at Strange, who stopped it with his magical shields which didn't falter. 

Mordo repeated the same attack a few more times, but he still couldn't penetrate Stephen's strong defences. So, he attacked differently, using the propulsion of his boots to slam himself into Strange, however, the Cloak helped its master to move away. 

Then, Stephen took the opportunity to quickly create a gold sword, and he cut Mordo's skin at his thigh, deeper than Stephen truly wanted, but not life-threatening. 

“You don't want to kill me, do you?” Mordo sniggered, as he noticed that his injury could have been more damaging, if Stephen had wanted to. 

Suddenly, Mordo snapped his fingers, and the Cloak was sucked from Stephen's shoulders. One second later, it was thrashing inside a red containment circle in vain, completely trapped. Stephen made a move towards it, but Mordo stood in his way, and he attacked him once more. 

They fought for a long time, Stephen using spells after spells to defend himself. However, he rarely attacked. 

And he paid the price.

Because when Stephen was starting to be tired, several cuts on his face, Mordo threw a powerful binding spell towards him, freezing Stephen's entire body. 

“Finally...” Mordo hissed, out of breath, “I must admit, you're better than I imagined, Strange.”

Mordo couldn't help but being admiring as he was watching Stephen, who, despite knowing that he lost and that he was stuck, was still struggling against the binding spell, trying to move his hands, his legs, and his arms, in vain. 

Mordo started to approach his prey, smiling a bit. 

“Am I supposed to beg for forgiveness?” Stephen asked calmly and scornfully, not being terrified or uncomfortable, even if he was at the mercy of his enemy. 

“Unfortunately...” Mordo sighed, and Stephen swore that there was a faint glimmer of guilt in Mordo's dark eyes, “You will.”

And with a wave of Mordo's hand, the two sorcerers disappeared. 

At the same time, in Peter's bedroom, Spider-Man woke with a start, suppressing a cry of pain. 

Because his pendant heated, and almost burned his skin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks a lot for reading!:)
> 
> I hope you're still enjoying my story, and thanks a lot for your support and your kind comments!:)
> 
> I have to tell you, though: The next chapter will be very dark, with torture... 
> 
> And Spidey and Tony will have to put their suit on!:)
> 
> WIX2


	10. Tears and Blood: Part V

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!:) I'm very touched by all your kind comments, so thank you very much, you're amazing!:) The next chapter is here, and I hope you'll enjoy it.
> 
> WARNING : Torture.

“I haven't forgotten our old friendship, Stephen. I respect you deeply, I even appreciate you...”

“I hate to break it to you, but your affection is not very obvious, right now.” Stephen spat coldly, as he was struggling wildly against his restraints, in vain. 

When Stephen had regained consciousness, he found himself tied to a chair, tight links slapped onto his arms, shoulders, thighs and ankles. His wrists were tied to a metal table in front of him, so that his both hands were maintained against it, palm down. 

Mordo ignored his bitter comment, and he continued slowly,“However, my duty matters more than my personal feelings. Our old friendship is nothing, compared to the greater good and the balance of the universe, which is why I must do that.” 

Mordo seemed to be actually rather affected, but he was still doing it, driven by his strong belief in the ''Greater Good''. 

Stephen hissed, “Yeah, keep telling yourself that, maybe you'll actually believe it, one day.”

“I can prove my respect, Strange.” Mordo leant forward, moving his face closer to Stephen's. The doctor froze at the change of distance, but he still maintained defiantly the visual contact. “Stephen, the more you cooperate, the easier it will be. If you tell me what I want to know without struggling, and of course, without lying, I will let you go, unharmed and alive.”

Strange laughed darkly, shaking his head, “Do you really expect me to believe you would let me go if I'm good?”

Mordo's expression was actually honest when he nodded. “I would let you go, Stephen. Then, we will have to fight again, in the future...” Mordo glanced at Stephen's ties which, not only were preventing him from moving, but were also blocking his magic, “... But on a more equal basis.” 

As Stephen wasn't saying anything, Mordo started coldly his interrogation. Actually, he just had one and precise question, “Where's the List?”

Stephen wasn't surprised: He knew from the beginning that this particular question was going to be the main stake. “What makes you think I know where it is?”

Mordo's eyes were staring intently at Stephen's face, in search of any signs of deception, but Stephen's expression was illegible, “Because you're the one who hid it. I know it.”

Stephen pretended to think, and he mocked with an ironic voice, “Perhaps you don't have competent stool pigeons...”

Strange's sarcasm made Mordo smile a little, and he nodded, whispering darkly, “Alright... You wanna play? Let's play.” 

He pulled away, and went towards a far side of the room where a small box was placed on the floor. After he opened it, Mordo extracted a small hammer, before bringing it near the table, on which the doctor's hands were firmly tied. 

Stephen forced himself to keep a neutral face, but at the sight of the hammer, he involuntary shuddered. He couldn't take his eyes off it, and he started to struggle violently, trying to remove his hands from the table, but the bindings didn't break. 

Mordo didn't take great delight in seeing Stephen's desperate reaction, but he wasn't saddened either. He just stayed horribly cold, as he purred, “You know, people say that torture does not work on everybody, but I disagree : I always believed that torture could break everyone, even the most stubborn ones.” 

He glanced calmly at Stephen, as he took the hammer in his right hand, “Because the most important thing is not to cause as many pain as possible... It's to cause pain at the right place.” 

Viciously, Mordo brushed Stephen's right hand with his fingers. “Or at least... It's to find a weak spot.”

Strange's breath caught in his throat, and he clenched his teeth to prevent any sound of discomfort from coming out. He had always hated when someone was touching his hands. He would have greatly preferred to get punched, rather than that. 

And Mordo knew it perfectly. That's why he continued to slowly stroke Stephen's hand, until the doctor couldn't take it any more. 

“Stop, you bastard!” He said aggressively, his breathing quickening. 

Mordo calmly stopped, and, in an ultimate threat, raised the hammer above Strange's left hand, ready to strike, “Last chance, Stephen. Where's the List?”

Strange knew he wasn't bluffing. However, he hissed furiously with a hateful gaze, “Go fuck yourself.”

As an answer, Mordo brought the hammer down on Stephen's left hand. The doctor heard multiple bones crack, and he couldn't hold back a yell. 

///

“OK, the more we stay silent like idiots, the more we're losing time. So, tell us what you know.”

Peter's rude voice broke the tense silence in the Sanctum, and froze Wong who was trying to free the Cloak still contained. Tony glanced worryingly at Peter, surprised by this unusual aggressiveness, but he didn't say a word. 

Wong nodded, “Alright... Kamar-Taj is a place where normal people come, in the hope of being cured, by magic. This is how people become sorcerer: At first, they learn the mystics arts for themselves.”

“It was the case with Stephen?” Tony asked, rubbing his face tiredly and worryingly. 

“Yes. For his hands...”

The kid didn't say a word. He was biting his nails to the quick, his face closed, but, judging by his tensed body, the small tremble in his hands, and his hateful gaze, Tony knew the kid was angry, and he was controlling himself not to blow a fuse.

Wong continued, “The great majority of the people who go to Kamar-Taj leave and return to the lives they had before, but to heal their injury, they have to use magic... constantly. However, some of them, instead of returning to their old lives, decide to use their powers for something greater than themselves. It's the case with Stephen, myself, or... Mordo.”

Tony narrowed his eyes, confused by this little pause. “Who's Mordo?” 

Wong sighed, “He's the sorcerer who captured Stephen.”

Peter's jaw clenched, as Tony asked with a frown,“Why?”

Wong pursed his lips, “After some... complications, Mordo became convinced that the sorcerers were a threat to the world: The duty of a sorcerer is to protect the natural laws, but Mordo believes that... All the people who are curing themselves by magic, corrupt Nature, they steal the power, they use it selfishly, without a good purpose, so...”

“So he wants to kill them all.” Tony finished with disgust, but Wong shook sadly his head, “Actually, Mordo never wanted to kill them, at first. He just wanted to deprive them of their magic. However, doing that revealed to be quite damaging, so the victims did not survive.”

“OK, great... An evil sorcerer who's a big fan of genocide...” Tony muttered bitterly. “But why going after Stephen? And why wanting him alive?”

Wong winced worryingly, and he snapped his fingers, creating a long piece of paper in his hand. “That's why.” 

Tony raised an eyebrow, “Strange has been kidnapped for a little piece of paper?”

“This piece of paper is the list of the name of every single person who comes here, to cure himself, or to become a sorcerer. Mordo wants it. If he has it, he could have access to all the people's identity cured by magic, and it will be much more easier for him to track them down.”

Tony asked, “Then, why don't you burn it or throw it away?”

Wong shook his head, “We can't. Kamar-Taj needs a record of all the people who came here.” He didn't explain further, so Tony asked, pointing at the list the sorcerer had in his hand, “Is that the real list?” 

“Of course not... This one is a fake, just like the twenty-two others fake lists we hid in Kamar-Taj. The real List is protected by spells which prevent any sorcerer from finding it thanks to magic, and nobody knows where it's hidden.” Wong made a short pause, before revealing darkly, “Except Stephen.”

Peter briefly closed his eyes, knowing what Wong meant: Stephen was only kept alive to be tortured. 

He felt a cold fear coming over him, mixed with a burning rage. He wanted to strangle Mordo with his bare hands. He should have been terrified by this thought, because Peter never felt such a fury, but he didn't care. 

Only Stephen mattered, right now

Groaning, he pointed at his necklace, and Tony frowned, “What are you doing, kid?”

“Inside my necklace, there's a Protector linked to Stephen... Can't we use it?” Peter finally opened his mouth to ask Wong hastily, his pleading eyes begging for a positive answer. 

However, Wong looked horribly helpless, “Perhaps it could help us, but... I don't know a lot about Protectors, I don't know how we can use it.”

And of course, Peter didn't know either, but he was certain that the Protector was their only hope. He remembered the conversation he had with Stephen, on this matter: 

''Just... If you are in danger, I wouldn't be able to conjure a portal to find you, I'm not magical, so how do I do to find you?''

''This relic still has a few tricks up its steeves. It will find a way.''

Stephen was wrong, the Protector wasn't finding a way. It was staying desperately silent, after it burned to alert Peter. 

Wong let Tony and Peter alone, saying that he was going to the library, to see if a book could reveal them information about the Protector. 

Overwhelmed by his rage, Peter brutally punched the wall. His fist didn't suffer from the shock, but the strike caused the wall to shake. 

Tony jumped, and nearly shouted, “Hey, kid! I get it, you're worried and angry, but slow down!”

But it was useless. The kid was seized by a overwhelming panic, so he hysterically started to shout, “No, you don't get it! I almost lost my aunt three days ago, and now, maybe I'm gonna lose Stephen, because a fucking asshole decided to kill all the sorcerers, and I can't even help him, because I can't find a way to track him, I'm not smart enough to use this fucking Protector!” 

When he continued, his voice shook, "I don't even know how is Stephen : If he's scared, if he suffers, if he's alive... And you're asking me to slow down?!”

Tony's tone was calm when he said sternly, “Alright, kid, listen to me. You need to calm down.”

“I can't, Tony, I can't! Stephen is tortured right now, and I can't do a damn thing about it! I'm abandoning him-”

Tony reacted physically, this time. He grabbed the kid by the shoulders, and he shook him a little, “Just zip it, and listen to me! Stephen needs you to be focused and able to think, right now.” 

This actually worked, because the kid closed his mouth, but his breathing was still too quick. 

Tony sighed, “Look, kid, I'm not gonna lie. Strange... He is probably suffering a lot right now, but I do know something: Stephen is strong, he's one of the most stubborn man I've even met, and trust me, I've met plenty. He is strong enough to be a pain in Mordo's ass for a long time, so you still have time to find a solution. You can find a way to use this Protector, but for that, you have to calm down and focus.”

Peter's lips quivered, "I-I...”

“Come on, kid. For Stephen.” Tony whispered firmly, as he squeezed Peter's shoulders. And finally, the kid forced himself to calm down, closed his eyes, and he took a few deep breaths. 

Tony nodded proudly, “That's good. Now think, kid, and find a way. You can do it.”

Peter remembered again the conversation he had with Stephen, the first time he went to his bedroom to give him the Protector. But this time, he analysed every word pronounced by Stephen carefully : ''It can choose its master and it can have its own power, just like Cloak.''

The kid brutally opened his eyes, and he whispered, “The Cloak... It's a relic.”

Tony raised an eyebrow, confused, “And then?”

“And then... The Protector is a relic as well. If a relic can't communicate with a human, maybe it can with another relic...”

And then, Tony smiled, “I always knew you were brilliant, kid!”

The pair ran to join the Cloak still contained in Mordo's spell, while they were shouting Wong's name. When the latter came back, Peter said, “We need to free the Cloak! Now!”

Wong didn't even question him. He resumed his attempt, muttering under his breath in a different language. After what seemed like an eternity to Peter, the spell was finally broken, and the Cloak flew away. 

It was panicked, flying in every direction, probably looking for its master. 

“Cloakie!” Peter called out, and the red relic froze. “I need your help, right now.”

“Oh great, this cape is sensitive as well...” Tony muttered under his breath, but Peter ignored him. He was staring intently at Cloak which wasn't moving. It was stiff and cautious, meaning that it would fly away if Peter was making any sudden movement.

Slowly, he touched his necklace, “Please, Cloakie. Trust me, I want Stephen to be safe too. But for that, you need to trust me, and to come near my necklace. It's important... Please.”

Something must have worked. Perhaps it was his words or his tears which threatened to fall, but either way, the Cloak slowly, too slowly, moved towards Peter, but he stayed still. 

Now close enough, the Cloak wrapped itself around Peter's body, and its collar gently tapped the necklace's pendant, as if it wanted to wake it up. 

And finally, the pendant, connected to the Cloak's collar, became brilliant yellow, and it burned. 

A tear of relief rolled down Peter's cheek.

///

Stephen couldn't remember the moment his moans and torn screams turned into sobs. 

Perhaps it was when Mordo brought the hammer down again and again on his left hand, then on each of the doctor's fingers, breaking them all without mercy. 

Perhaps it was when Stephen glanced helplessly at his damaged hand, and seeing it bloody and bent, in addition to pain, reminded him of his car accident. 

Or maybe, he started to cry when Mordo repeated the same process on his right hand. 

At a moment, Stephen even had to bite his lower lip to the blood, to suppress his screams the best he could, but also to prevent himself from revealing everything he knew. 

However, despite his sobs and the overwhelming pain, physical or psychological, he didn't say anything, much to Mordo's displeasure. 

When Stephen's hands were too ruined to inflict more damage, Mordo roughly grabbed him, and after removing the ties, dragged him out of the chair, forcing him to stand. 

Stephen didn't have the strength to defend himself now that he was free, but even if he had tried, he wouldn't have the time to fight, because Mordo quickly cuffed his wrists to a hook on the ceiling, keeping him standing, and keeping his shaking arms and his ruined hands painfully pinned above his head. 

Strange snarled angrily when Mordo caught his chin between thumb and forefinger, but a few tears were still running down his cheeks. “The List, Stephen. Where is it?”

“Go to h-hell.” Stephen managed to pant out weakly with a shaking voice, trying to move his tied arms, in vain.

“Alright. Let's try something else.” Mordo ripped violently Stephen's robes, to have access to his chest, ignoring Stephen's surprised gasp. “You're forcing me to do this to you, Stephen. ”

By saying that, Mordo raised his right hand, and blue flames suddenly went out of his fingers. Instinctively, Stephen defended himself with his legs, because he couldn't use his arms : He tried to give Mordo a kick, but this action, besides causing even more pain in his arms, just made Mordo briefly laugh, as he nonchalantly avoided it, “Still defiant, isn't it? Unwise, but admirable.”

He moved dryly his hands towards Stephen's ankles, and suddenly, sharp barbed ropes appeared around them, keeping his feet down on the ground. And with a wave of hand, Mordo made them squeeze tightly the doctor's ankles, the barbed ropes digging deeper and deeper into his flesh.

Stephen whimpered in pain. Then, now that the doctor couldn't move his arms and legs, Mordo moved his inflamed hand towards his prisoner's naked torso, and the fire bit into his skin. 

Stephen screamed in agony, wriggling helplessly, and his cries intensified, as Mordo's burning hand spread slowly through his entire chest, burning as many flesh as possible.

Strange thought in despair that Mordo was never going to stop, that he would burn his entire body until it kills him. 

But Mordo did stop at a moment, when he valued that Stephen's skin of his chest was burned enough. He entangled roughly his fingers in Stephen's hair, and forced him to look at him. His face was inches from Strange's, and he ignored his prisoner's broken moans. 

“Tell me where the List is!” Mordo's hissing voice became angrier and angrier, because of Stephen's resistance. 

But Strange stayed silent, moaning and crying a little, because of the overwhelming pain in his hands, chest, and ankles. 

Mordo groaned, “Do you think you're suffering, right now? This, it's nothing compared to what I'm gonna do to you, if you don't tell me its location.”

The torturer punched violently Stephen's stomach, cutting his respiration off, and Strange would have doubled over if he wasn't firmly tied.

As he started to cough and struggle to breathe, Mordo was about to punch him a second time, but he suddenly froze, looking away. Then, he groaned in annoyance. 

“Looks like we've got company, Stephen.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I know it's a tough chapter...
> 
> The next one, we will see Tony and Peter's rescue!:) 
> 
> Thanks again for all your support !:)
> 
> WIX2


	11. Tears and Blood: Part VI

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At the beginning, this chapter is a POV Tony, and just after, it's a POV Peter. :)
> 
> Hope you'll enjoy this chapter!:)
> 
> Thanks for your support!
> 
> WIX2

Tony always saw Stephen as an unbreakable robot : Strong, heartless, cold and collected in all circumstances. 

Actually the sorcerer proved him that he could care, especially when he cured Aunt May at the risk of his life. However, it was when Tony saw the doctor's state of health, his tied hands with bloody and bent fingers, his burned chest, tear tracks on his cheeks, that his illusion brutally fell apart. 

Right now, he was just seeing a traumatized man, desperate to get free from this torment. 

Consequently, when Iron-Man and Peter appeared suddenly in the torture chamber, Tony didn't even think about fighting, despite the fact that he was wearing his armour : He just rushed towards Stephen, while Peter, with the help of Cloak, attacked Mordo.

“Hey, Stephanie.” Tony said gently, now in front of the tied sorcerer as he opened his red and gold helmet. 

Stephen gasped, totally frightened by this sudden apparition. Instinctively, his panicked and shocked mind was startled, so he started to wriggle, his breathing swallow, a weak attempt at defence. 

Tony cupped Stephen's sweating face, to stabilize his head so that his eyes were looking right into his. 

The doctor was blinking, and was staring wildly at Tony's face, as if he wasn't recognizing him.

He seemed completely lost.

“I know, it's a shock.” Tony whispered, feeling his heart ache. 

Tony understood immediately what was happening to Stephen, right now. This particular shock, he knew it too well : When you were kidnapped, trapped and tortured in a dark and cold room, you had no hope left, so you couldn't imagine that a ray of light would suddenly come up. 

And when it was actually coming up, it was a slap to the face. 

A pretty brutal one. 

So, the first reaction you could have was to panic, and to think you were hallucinating, because it was too good to be true. 

Tony talked slowly and distinctly, keeping his voice strong, calm and clear, “I'm really here. That's not a dream or a hallucination... Actually, it'd be pretty weird if your first hallucination was myself cupping your face and whispering you sweet words... But anyway, that's not the topic.” 

As Stephen's gaze was not as panicked as before, Iron-Man nodded to encourage him, “That's right, go back to reality, I'm really here with you in this shitty room, and we're going to get you out of there.”

Finally, Tony's words worked, because Stephen whispered brokenly with a frown, “T-T-Tony?” 

Tony nodded, “Yeap, the one and only.” 

Iron-Man kept an eye on the kid who was fighting noisily with Cloak, and he saw that Stephen was trying to watch the fight behind his back, as well. 

So, Tony grabbed gently his chin, to keep his head turned towards him instead of the fight. “No, no, no! Everything's fine, promise, just look at me. I'm much more fascinating than what's happening behind you.”

Then, he kneeled, and began to cut the ties wrapped tightly around the sorcerer's bloody ankles with a red laser from his left gauntlet. 

When the barbs were cut into two pieces, he carefully plucked them from the flesh, grimacing when he heard Stephen moan. 

The genius got up, and moved to the hands. He destroyed dryly the ties, and continued to talk with a false lightness, just to distract Stephen from his pain and fear, “I told you, you shouldn't have gone to this log cabin, but now, you know : Bad things happen when you don't listen to me, Stephanie. Lesson Number One : Always listen to Tony. ”

Then, as no tie was holding Stephen back any more, Tony cushioned his fall. He wrapped his arms around his waist, and he gently lowered him down towards the floor, keeping him in his arms. 

Iron-Man was astonished to see that the sorcerer leant into Tony's chest, desperate for human contact, but he just let him. 

He smirked gently at him, “It's the second time I see you semi-naked... I'm beginning to think you do it on purpose...” 

As Stephen's shocked gaze was focused on Tony's face above him, a few tears still running down his cheeks, the genius winked at him, “ But I'm warning you, if you want to seduce me, I'm not picky, but I expect at least fireworks.”

This time, he wanted Stephen to react, and he did : The faintest of smile slowly crossed his face, and despite how broken it seemed, Tony almost cried in victory.

The playboy tenderly pushed a few locks of hair out of Stephen's sweating forehead, “It's over, Stephanie.”

Then, Tony heard Peter shout, and on the corner of his eye, he saw red flames charging at them.

///

When Peter arrived in the torture chamber with Tony, he collided violently with Mordo to get him away from Stephen.

The sorcerer fell to the floor with a surprised groan, whereas Spider-Man avoided the fall : He flexibly stopped the impact with his feet firmly planted on the ground. 

He webbed Mordo's leg to drag him towards him, but the sorcerer cut the web with a conjured dagger, and he got up quickly. 

“You're more savage than I expected from the good Spider-Man.”

Peter didn't answer. 

He didn't use his usual jokes either. 

He glanced quickly at Tony, reassured that the latter was currently taking care of Stephen, and he focused on the fight again. 

Mordo threw daggers at him, but the kid avoided them all. Then, Peter webbed Mordo's face, so that the latter was blinded, and he took the opportunity to rush towards him, and punch him violently right to the nose. 

He felt a savage pleasure when he saw blood flowing from Mordo's surely broken nose. 

The Cloak twisted itself around Mordo's right arm, and blocked it, so Peter aimed a solid punch to Mordo's solar plexus. 

As the sorcerer wheezed, the air cut off from his lungs, the kid took him by the shoulders, and he threw him forcibly against the wall. 

However, when Peter was going to attack once more, Mordo raised his free hand, sending a wave of raw magic towards Peter, who couldn't avoid it, so it hit him hard.

Spider-Man was thrown backwards, but he didn't hit a wall or crumble to the ground, because the Cloak went on his shoulders, and levitated him away. 

At the same time, now that he was temporarily rid of Peter, Mordo sent a deadly spurt of flame towards Tony and Stephen settled in his arms.

“No!” Peter shouted, but Tony reacted faster than anyone could have predicted. 

He brought his arm right in front of him, and from it, a huge red and gold shield spread. It covered both of them, and protected them from the flames. 

Tony glared at the sorcerer, and he closed his helmet. His cold voice rang, “OK... Hey, the living cape! Would you mind...?” 

He pointed at Stephen in his arms. 

The Cloak understood. It covered its master protectively, its collar gently stroking his cheek to appease him, allowing Tony to let him, to get up, and finally to use his armour. 

Tony fired three repulsors at Mordo, but the latter conjured up a transparent shield around him, protecting himself from the fires. 

Tony flew towards Mordo at peak velocity, and charged. 

Peter returned to the attack, webbed Mordo's right wrist, and pulled with all his strength, to prevent the sorcerer from using his arm. 

At the same time, when Iron-Man landed close to Mordo, the kid's act permitted to his armoured fist to punch violently Mordo's jaw, and a horrible scrunch followed. 

Groggy, the sorcerer collapsed, and Peter immediately webbed his arms and legs to the ground, keeping him firmly pinned. 

Mordo raised weakly his head and opened his mouth, but Peter didn't even let him start. 

He webbed his forehead, and violently slammed his head down on the hard floor, knocking him out. 

Tony didn't even give another glance at Mordo. He rushed towards Stephen once more, followed closely by Peter, and Iron-Man bent down, and lifted the sorcerer up effortlessly, one hand beneath Stephen's knees, the other on his back. He let the Cloak wrapped around Strange, as a blanket. 

Stephen moaned, closed his wet eyes, and buried his face into Tony's neck. 

Suddenly, a few portals opened, and sorcerers went out, heading for Mordo, and one of them, Wong, motioned to Tony to come with him. “The healers are there.”

Peter almost cried in relief.

///

It was when the pair was waiting in the Sanctum, near the room where Stephen was currently healed that Peter felt tired, now that there was no adrenaline within him any more. 

Tony suggested him to go to sleep a little, but the kid stubbornly denied. 

So, Tony didn't insist. With a sigh, he wrapped his arms around Peter, and held him tight. Peter gratefully leant into the playboy's comforting embrace. He put his head on Tony's shoulder, while the latter gently cradled him. 

It was when Peter almost fell asleep in Tony's arms that the door opened, and a healer headed for them. 

The pair got up at the same time. 

Peter's eyes were brimming with fear, while Tony was holding his breath, so the healer announced immediately, “He's sleeping. He won't suffer from any physical damages, given that you brought him here just in time. He'll need time to recovery, though.”

“Can we see him?” Contrary to all expectation, it was Tony who asked that. 

The healer just nodded. 

When the pair went to the room, Tony caught two chairs, and sat on one for them near the bed, while Peter sat on the other one, near Stephen's face. 

The kid stroked the sleeping doctor's cheek with a finger, and he also kissed tenderly his forehead a few times, cautious not to wake him up. Tony watched him for a moment, before he sighed gently, “Kid...”

Peter didn't even take his eyes off Stephen, when he answered, “Yeah?” 

“Relax. He's not going anywhere.”

Peter glanced at him vulnerably, and he sighed, “It's just... We almost lost him and-”

The kid stopped, because he couldn't go on. Tony just nodded with an understanding gaze, “Yeah, I know... But he's there and alive, thanks to you.”

Suddenly, Peter cleared his throat and looked down. He glanced at Tony several times hesitantly, and Tony just rolled his eyes, “Alright, I know that look.”

God, it was so easy to read this kid...

Peter pretended not to understand, “What look? There's no look... It's my normal face.” However, the kid was a terrible liar. 

“C'mon. That's the look ''I wanna ask something, but I'm peeing in my pants.''.”

Peter pursed his lips nervously, proving that Tony was right, but he eventually said it, “Did I scare you?” The kid's voice was barely above a whisper, so Tony had to struggle to hear it.

However, Tony's intelligence effortlessly understood the problem, “You mean, when you kicked Mordo's ass?”

Peter just nodded nervously. 

Tony let out a brief laugh, “Well, it reminded me to never annoy you, I value my life.”

As Peter winced, glancing at his fists, Tony became serious again, and he said firmly, “No, seriously : It's OK to feel angry, kid. You fought with your heart. There's nothing wrong with that.”

“I wanted to kill him...”

“You're human, Peter. There'll always be a moment when your emotions will be stronger than your reason. That's frightening for you, because it's rather new, but that's normal.”

Peter nodded, smiling gratefully. He opened his mouth to answer, but a soft moan interrupted his action. 

When he looked down, he saw that Stephen was awakening. The latter slowly opened his eyes, as if he was doing a physical effort, and his distant gaze fell on Peter. 

It broke Peter's heart to see these blue eyes usually full of confidence, being this time so unsure and still afraid. 

He seemed so vulnerable. 

“Hey, Grumpy.” The kid whispered softly. 

“P-Peter?” Stephen croaked weakly. 

Peter nodded as he smiled, “Yeah... It's OK. You're safe, you're in your Sanctum.” 

Stephen relaxed a little, never leaving the kid out of his sight, as if he needed to look at him constantly to be reassured, and to be sure that he was indeed there. 

The doctor tried to move his body, but he was too weak, so Peter reassured him, as he put gently his hand on Stephen's shoulder and shook his head, “Easy, easy. Don't move.”

Stephen's lips quivered when he asked brokenly, holding back his tears, “My... My hands...”

Peter answered quickly, “They're fine, promise : The healers managed to heal them.”

As Strange nodded with relief, Peter asked gently, “How are you feeling? And no lying.”

“Not bad...” As Peter stared sternly at him, with raised eyebrows, Stephen winced, and he added weakly, looking down, “But... not good either.”

Peter pursed his lips, and gently brushed Stephen's temple with his fingers. “You know what? I have an idea : I'm gonna take some stuff to my house, and I'm gonna stay here for a while, as long as you need it.”

Peter saw relief into Strange's eyes, and this only reinforced his belief that Stephen couldn't stay alone. “You... You would do that?”

Peter shrugged, “Only if that's good for you... I mean, I can understand you wanna stay alone with your Cloak- No, I'm not accusing you of having a weird relationship with your Cloak, it's just friendship, a very good and close friendship...”

As he saw that Stephen was staring at him with a mocking gaze, struggling not to smile, the kid made a face, “I'm talking too much, aren't I?”

“A little.” Stephen answered bluntly. Then, he said, “Of course you can come here, stupid kid...” He swallowed, “But, Peter... It won't be fun.”

“I don't care. That's why friends are for, Grumpy : For the good, and the bad.”

Suddenly, Tony intervened loudly, “God, it's actually awful to be ignored...”

Stephen flinched in surprise, and when he glanced at Tony for the first time, he noticed his presence and groaned, “Oh no... Not you.”

Tony laughed, “Filled with enthusiasm... I like it.”

“Why don't you go pick up Peter's stuff, instead of the kid?”

Peter was astonished to see that Stephen had his legendary sarcasm back, as soon as he saw Tony. He didn't know if it was bad, or on the contrary, the best thing that could have happened, today. 

Tony put his hand on his chest, “I'm wounded... You prefer this stupid kid to me?”

Stephen replied coldly, “I won't answer that.”

Peter rolled his eyes, but he was smiling fondly. He quickly kissed Stephen's forehead, and said while he pulled away, “I'll be back shortly, promise.”

Then, the kid quickly left the room, letting the two adults alone. 

“What are you doing here?” Stephen asked dryly, but his deep voice was not as harsh and cold as usual, though. 

It was as if he was forcing himself to be dry. 

Tony smirked, “I'm waiting for a ''thank you''.”

“C'mon, admit it : You just saved me so that I could hear you saying that you were right about the log cabin.”

Tony rolled his eyes, “You know me so well...”

There was a short pause, but finally, Stephen whispered quickly, but with a voice full of gratefulness, “Thank you, Tony.”

Tony gently swept aside his thanks, “Don't mention it.” 

However, he raised a finger playfully, “ Well, no, actually, don't forget that I saved you... You know, if someday, I need an anti-wrinkle potion from you...”

Stephen just rolled his eyes, not giving Tony the satisfaction to be amused, and he jeered, “Yeah, you'll need some...”

“Please, Stephanie, don't lie. My face's perfect, and even with my wrinkles, I'm still the sexiest man alive.”

Stephen rolled his eyes overly, “Do you take anything seriously?”

Tony's face rose from amused to deadly serious, “Oh, I do take things seriously. I just don't show it.”

As Stephen pursed his lips, not really knowing what to say, Peter was already back, with a few bags.

The doctor smiled, raising his eyebrows “You weren't kidding when you said you'll be back shortly, kid.”

As Peter sat on his chair again with a tender smile, Tony got up with a brief sigh, “Well, I see you already recruited your babysitter, so I can go : I don't want to invade your little sleepover...”

As Stephen smiled briefly, too quickly for Tony to see it, the playboy said, “Take some rest, Merlin. You deserved it.”

Strange just nodded, watching Tony as he was walking towards the exit. Then, the latter glanced over his shoulder, “Oh, and Stephen?” 

He waited until Strange looked at him with a questioning gaze to continue, a smirk playing on his lips, “The kid eats a lot... Good luck!”

“That's not true!” Peter shouted, but Tony was already passing through the exit door, laughing. 

Stephen waited until he was sure that Tony left the Sanctum, to allow his amused smile to appear on his face.


	12. Recovery

Peter tiptoed, in the dark Sanctum : He was careful not to make any noise, and he didn't dare switch on the light, because Stephen was probably sleeping, due to the late hour. 

He kept walking blind until he found what he was looking for : The kitchen, and of course, the fridge. 

As he opened it with a proud smile, the light suddenly came on, and he saw Stephen, nonchalantly sitting at a table, his legs crossed. “Hey, kid.”

Peter jumped, and he let out a surprised gasp, “Oh god, Grumpy!”

Stephen was mockingly staring at him, “What are you doing here? You should be into bed, right now.”

Peter stammered the first excuse he could find, “Hum... I... I was going to... t-the toilet!” 

He admitted deep down that it was rather pathetic. Strange feigned confusion, as he raised his eyebrows, “With the fridge door open?”

Peter felt his cheeks burn, he was certain that he was as red as a lobster. “Oh, that's the fridge, my goodness! I thought it was a... door. You know, to go to the toilet.” 

The way the kid was losing his words made Stephen smile, and he asked, “You're hungry?”

The kid grimaced with guilt, but he chose to be honest, “Yes... Sorry, Grumpy-”

Stephen shrugged, and interrupted him calmly, “It's OK : Make yourself at home, eat whatever you want.” 

Peter nodded gratefully, and he leant towards the fridge, to pick what he wished, “Do you want something too, Grumpy?”

Strange immediately shook his head, “No thanks. I'm not hungry.”

The kid winced : he hasn't seen Stephen eat since Peter was there to keep Stephen's company. As he sighed, he took two fruit yoghurt, one for himself, and he gave the other one to the doctor without a word.

Surprised, Stephen glanced briefly at him, but he took the yoghurt and the spoon Peter held out to him, without protest. 

The kid sat on a chair in front of the sorcerer, and he asked, “Why are you here?”

“I couldn't sleep.”

Peter blinked, surprised that Strange finally admitted a weakness : Actually, until now, the sorcerer hadn't said a word about his torture, or his trauma: He was just acting as if nothing happened, as if everything was fine, but Spider-Man knew it was a delusion. 

And this revelation proved him right. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” The kid asked gently, as he took a mouthful of his yoghurt.

Stephen shook dryly his head, as he put aside the yoghurt he didn't even open, “No.”

However, Peter didn't give up. He knew that talking would help Stephen, but the latter was too stubborn to accept it. 

He stopped eating, and he moved his chair towards Stephen to be closer, until he was just in front of him. 

There was no table between them any more. 

He pleaded softly, “Come on, Stephen. Talk to me.” 

Stephen was avoiding his gaze, staring at his shaking hands, but he eventually asked, “Mordo... Where is he, now?”

“Imprisoned.” Peter answered more dryly that he would have liked. 

Contrary to all expectation, Stephen wasn't delighted by this revelation at all. He even sighed brokenly, “I just... I don't know how to feel about it.”

Peter frowned. “Why?” 

Stephen rubbed his face tiredly. Then, he finally looked up to stare into the kid's eyes, “When I was in search of Kamar-Taj, I was attacked and beaten. And at that moment, I really thought I was going to die, that it would be the end. But then, Mordo arrived : He saved me, and he took me to Kamar-Taj... It's even thanks to him that I was accepted there.”

Peter felt his eyes widen, but he didn't say anything.

“During my time at Kamar-Taj, I was his student, he taught me how to fight, how to use magic, how to be more patient, more... competent. He was my mentor, and at a moment, he even became my friend-”

Stephen cleared his throat when his hoarse voice threatened to break, “We fought together, Peter... We helped each other.” He swallowed, “But then, he left Kamar-Taj, and began this... madness.”

“I didn't know you knew him well...” Peter whispered carefully, making sure to prevent his face from showing the compassion he was feeling. 

He knew Stephen hated pity. 

“When he was torturing me, the worst was not the pain-” Strange stopped himself, looking down again, and the kid asked gently, to make him continue, “What was the worst, then?”

“The worst was that... It was Mordo who was torturing me... He knew where to strike, he used what he knew about me, what I said to him about my hands when I trusted him, to hurt me, to break me, and it's-” He shrugged his shoulders, too choked up to speak.

“Hard to come to terms with.” Peter finished for him gently, and Stephen just nodded. “I don't know how to feel, Peter. I hate him, of course, but...” He rubbed violently his face, “I'm just lost, kid.”

The teenager sighed, “I know you're not used to it, but it's OK not to understand what we're feeling, sometimes. You lived something awful, you need time... You have to give yourself time, and you'll see, little by little, what you're feeling about Mordo's betrayal will become clearer.”

Stephen replied rather harshly, “I don't have time to moan about it! I have a duty, I cannot-”

“Take care of yourself?” Peter interrupted him calmly, his gaze soft. 

This actually left Stephen speechless, so it allowed the teenager to continue, “I'm sure Kamar-Taj can take care of the world for one week or two...” 

Strange opened his mouth to object, but Spider-Man carried on, “Grumpy, you're still pretty shaken-up, so if you rush, you won't be able to do correctly your duty. Give yourself time... Ask some of the sorcerers to take your place for a while, I'm sure they'll agree.”

“I-I can't...”

As Peter knew that Stephen will not give up easily, he tried to make a compromise: “OK, just one week, Doc.” The teenager almost begged, “Let me stay here with you for one week : No magic, no fight, no hero duty... Just one week.”

Something must have worked, probably the kid's determination, because Stephen ended up nodding. However, Peter wasn't finished, “Promise?” He asked weakly, almost vulnerably.

Stephen pursed his lips, “Promise.”

Satisfied, the kid picked up the yoghurt Stephen didn't open, and he moved it closer to the sorcerer, with his best puppy eyes. 

Strange sighed, but he eventually took it, and he started to eat it slowly, ignoring the kid's little smile. 

Then, Peter noticed that Stephen was grimacing in pain, and he was glancing a lot at his not bandaged shaking hands. “Your hands hurt?” He asked gently, pointing at them.

Stephen didn't even tried to lie, “Don't worry, kid. The pain's not a problem. I'm used to it.”

“It's not because you're used to it that I can't relieve you of it.” Peter offered his both hands up, very close to Stephen's painful ones, “May I?”

Stephen's all body tensed, so Peter said gently, “Hey, relax, it's OK: Yes or no...”

Strange stared at him for a long moment, and Peter just waited without a word. He knew that letting him touch his hands would be showing a lot of trust from Stephen's part. 

Then, the sorcerer quickly said, “Yes.”

“If you're feeling the slightest discomfort, Doc, tell me, and I'll stop.” Peter said, and when Strange nodded, he carefully took Stephen's hands, and he slowly massaged them with his thumbs, with utmost care. 

At first, Stephen's body stayed rigid, but he didn't say a word of protest. However, little by little, he relaxed a bit, and even closed his eyes with relief when his hands hurt less and less. “Thank you.” He whispered. 

Peter smiled, “You're welcome. Can I ask you why you don't reduce the pain with magic? I mean, you already said you don't heal them because it would be selfish to use magic only for that, but why do you keep the pain?"

Stephen watched distantly for a moment Peter's thumbs massaging the back of his hands, before answering, “I did this to myself, the car accident was all my fault, it would have been too easy to just reverse the consequences: I have to bear this burden. Also... My broken hands, they're here to remind me of what I've lost, that a lot of things are finished. You know, my old life, the old me...”

“The old you?” Peter repeated, confused, and Stephen snorted, “You really know nothing about me, kid...”

“I know you were an amazing doctor before your car accident, that's enough for me.”

Suddenly, Stephen laughed, but he didn't sound amused at all: It was more a broken snigger, “Oh, Peter... You're so wrong.” He shook his head bitterly, “The truth's that... I was not a good doctor: I was a horrible one.”

Astonished, Peter looked up, but he let Stephen continue. “Do you remember when I said to you that a patient's gratefulness was the most beautiful thing in the world?”

“Yeah.” Peter answered cautiously, as he continued to massage Stephen's hands. 

“Well, me, I forgot about it, a long time ago. When I was a doctor, I was saving a lot of people, that's true, but it was not for the pleasure of saving people, it was just for glory and the check. I don't even think I was seeing my patients as human beings... I was ignoring the ones who couldn't pay me, I wasn't caring about their gratefulness or their recovery, I was just caring about money... I was so cold, so selfish...”

Peter wondered why Stephen who had such a passion for medicine thanks to his sister, could have totally changed his mind, but he didn't ask.

Actually, Peter couldn't really say that he was surprised : Because of Tony's previous statements, and Stephen's comments about his past mistakes when the teenager had decided to tell him about his uncle's death, he knew the sorcerer had a dark past not to be proud of.

This revelation should have bothered him, because Stephen's past behaviour was rather heartless, but the kid actually didn't care : Stephen had always been there for him, saving him, comforting him, protecting him... 

Yes, he was a little cold and tough, that's true, but still kind and even tender, sometimes. And deep down, Peter knew that was the real Stephen Strange. 

So, he just said, “Well, you said it yourself, that was the old you: You realized your past mistakes, that's what's important... You're a good man, Stephen.”

“No, I'm not. Sorry to break your childish illusion.” 

This time, Stephen's voice was acid and abrupt, almost mean. He regretted his words as soon as they left his mouth, but it was too late.

Peter pursed his lips and he suddenly got up. Stephen thought that the kid was going to leave, and he wouldn't have blamed him, but instead of that, the kid went closer, leaning towards Stephen and putting his hands on the armrests of Strange's chair. 

“What's the point of all of this, actually? You want me to run away?” He whispered softly, even if his gaze was a little colder than usual, “Because I won't.”

Stephen couldn't speak: He would have never imagined that the kid could be intimidating. However, he eventually managed to coldly stare right into the kid's eyes, and he hissed, “I ignored patients who couldn't afford me, Peter.”

Peter's cold face didn't budge. “And I ignored crimes.” 

The kid didn't wait Stephen to react, because he continued, “And even when you learnt that, you said you weren't thinking less of me, do you remember? Well, I can't really understand how you can feel that way, but you do. And it's the same thing, with you : I don't care if you were a dick in the past.” 

As Stephen stayed silent, Peter softened, “You're right, Grumpy, though : I don't know everything about you... But what I do know, it's that you were ready to suffer in the hands of Mordo, just so that people could stay safe, and I'm sure I don't even know the half about what you're doing every day to keep the Earth safe, or what you've already done.”

Then, the kid pointed proudly at him, “So, you can say it's childish if you want, but I still believe you're a good man, and nothing will convince me otherwise.” 

There was a long silence between them, and Stephen sighed, “I think that's enough for one night, don't you think?”

Peter nodded, and he let Stephen get up. Then, the latter smiled a little, as he said dryly, but with affection, “Stupid kid.” 

Peter grinned all over his face, “Jerk.”

///

During the entire week they spent together, this became a ritual : The night, Peter was going to the fridge, and Stephen was there, because he couldn't sleep and he wanted to avoid nightmares. 

Consequently, during the night, they were talking about everything and nothing, and Peter was forcing the doctor to eat a little with him, because Stephen wasn't eating a lot.

During the day, they were chatting, playing chess, Strange was meditating a lot, while Peter was doing his homework, with sometimes a little help from the doctor, and the kid was helping Stephen with his hands which were still a little painful, by massaging them regularly. 

They were even leaving the Sanctum, but often, it was just to go to the supermarket to buy food, because of the kid's strong appetite. 

During the whole week, Stephen kept his word: He didn't use magic, he didn't fight, he didn't think about his duty: He only thought of recovery, as agreed. 

He actually thought it would be very hard, almost impossible to recover, but the kid was right : Time helped a lot, and thanks to Peter's reassuring presence, Stephen pulled himself together. 

He managed to be more lucid about Mordo's torture and betrayal, less obsessed with these unpleasant memories, and his emotions were not as fuzzy as before: He understood that he was indeed considering Mordo as his enemy, and that he would have to fight him over and over again if the latter was out, because he had to be stopped.

However, he would never hate him completely. 

And he was OK with that.

The last night of the week, when Peter went to the kitchen to eat a little, Stephen wasn't there, because he was sleeping in his bedroom.

Peter smiled from ear to ear.

///

Eventually, the day of departure arrived.

Peter was packing his bags under the eyes of Stephen, when they heard the kid's phone ring. The kid picked up immediately, knowing who it was, and put it on speaker, so that Stephen could hear the conversation as well, “Hey, Tony!”

“Hey, kid. I can pick you up in five minutes. Sounds good?”

“Yeah, perfect.”

Tony's voice became sarcastic, “You're in the hurry to get out of the wizard's creepy house?” 

Stephen grumbled loudly, “You're on speaker, moron!”

Peter laughed briefly, and Tony jeered ironically, “Hi Stephanie, as nice as usual...”

The teenager opened his mouth to speak, but Strange replied straight away, cutting him off, “And you're as annoying as usual, Tony, even on the phone...”

Peter closed briefly his eyes, and he laughed, “Please children, behave!”

“You heard the kid, Merlin...” Tony whispered, and both Stephen and Peter could hear his smirk behind his teasing voice. 

As Stephen was rolling his eyes, Tony continued, “Anyway, I'll be there, then, kid. See you later!”

“See you.” Peter answered quickly. At the second he hang up, Stephen grumbled, “What does it have to be Tony who picks you up? Why not your aunt?”

Peter chuckled, “Because my aunt's working, and Tony gently offered to fetch me.”

Stephen muttered, “He just offered this to piss me off...”

The kid just smiled, and he joked, “Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if it was actually the case.”

Then, the kid's bright smile slowly faded away, and he cleared his throat as he took his bags, “Grumpy... You're sure you're ready?”

Stephen wasn't annoyed. Actually, he couldn't help but smile fondly, really touched, “Peter, you can't stay here forever, you know? And it's been one week already.”

“Yeah, I know, it's just...” Peter didn't have to continue : His brown eyes were adorably full of worry. 

Stephen firmly said, “I'll be fine, Peter.”

Then, they heard someone who knocked on the door. The sorcerer made a face, and the kid just laughed. 

Tony was standing confidently, his arms nonchalantly crossed against his chest, when Stephen opened the front door, “Hello again, Stephanie. Is your roomie in the area?”

Stephen scoffed, “I'm fine, Tony, thanks for asking.”

Tony didn't wait for Stephen to move aside to enter the Sanctum, but he didn't run into the sorcerer like when they first met, which was clearly a progress. “Oh, I don't ask, because I know you're fine.”

Stephen narrowed his eyes, as he closed the door, “Really?”

Tony gestured vaguely towards Stephen's face, “You have again this... annoying expression on your pretty face, so I guess you're feeling better.”

Stephen blinked, and he frowned, “What's the matter with my expression?”

“Er... It's cold, contemptuous, cocky, detestable, unfriendly... Can you stop me when I get cold?”

“I don't have a-”

“Hey, Tony!” The kid joyfully exclaimed, interrupting Stephen's objection as he went down the stairs. 

Tony's smile lit up his face, “How was your flat-share, kid?”

“Pretty well.”

“Alright...” Stephen put a big and fake smile on his face, and he asked with an exaggerated kindness, “Tony... Do you want to drink something?”

Tony suddenly got a shocked look on his face, which was clearly for show, “OK, kid, he's probably not well at all... He's nice, that's weird.”

Stephen rolled his eyes, but he smirked, “I'm not nice... I'm trying to be friendly.”

Tony blinked, but it was obvious that he was struggling not to smile, “Well, don't act friendly, that's creepy. Stay with your Terminator's face.” 

Then, the playboy said, “Unfortunately, the drink will have to wait... I'm in the hurry.” Tony winked, “You'll impress me later, Wizard.”

Before Stephen could react, Tony glanced at the Cloak on its master's shoulders, and he exclaimed joyfully, with a wave of hand, “Hey, living cape, finally someone I like!”

The Cloak brutally flew towards Tony to be just in front of him, and it slapped its collar at him. It wasn't brutal, but not nice either. “WOW! I didn't know it was violent!”

“It's a Cloak...” Peter corrected him nicely, struggling not to burst out laughing. 

“OK, OK, fine, living Cloak!” Tony grumbled, glaring ridiculously at the Cloak, which proudly flew away from the genius to settle again on its master's shoulders. 

Tony pointed a threatening finger at Stephen and Peter, “What you just saw doesn't leave this room, clear?!”

Peter laughed, while Stephen was discretely smiling. 

Then, the kid knew it was time to go. He went towards Stephen with a sigh, and he hugged him tightly. He expected Strange to groan, to express his discomfort, but the sorcerer actually held the kid even tighter, resting briefly his forehead on his shoulder. 

“Thank you, Peter. For everything.” Stephen whispered warmly in his ear. Peter gently pulled away, smiling, “If you don't feel well, Grumpy, you join me in my bedroom, OK?”

Tony's surprised and rather horrified voice intervened, “Wait, Merlin can go in your bedroom, now?”

Both of them totally ignored him. 

Stephen nodded at the teenager. “I will, stupid kid.”

Peter smiled, and with a sigh, he left the Sanctum, with Tony. Stephen looked at them going away, as long as he still could, and he felt his Cloak squeeze gently his shoulders. 

Stephen smiled fondly at it, and closed the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks a lot for reading, and for all your support! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!:)
> 
> The next chapter, we'll see Stephen in his best stern "doctor" mode, with... Tony!:)
> 
> WIX2


	13. Stark Tower

Peter was standing alone in a corridor, a phone to his ear, glancing worryingly at Tony. 

When Peter arrived in the Stark Tower thirty minutes early, he found Tony trying to cover his injured and bloody shoulder with a few amateur bandages. When the latter heard the kid come in, he immediately put a tee-shirt on, a big and fake smile on his face, as if nothing happened. 

However, Peter wasn't fooled.

At first, Tony tried to reassure him, saying that it was just a harmless cut, but he could have been more convincing if he was actually showing his injury, and if he wasn't grimacing when he was moving his arm. 

After Peter's insistence, the playboy finally allowed Spider-Man to call a doctor. 

“Come on, Grumpy, pick up, pick up, pick up...” Peter muttered. Right now, the kid was nearly crushing the phone he was holding in his hand.

But then, the deep and drawling voice of Stephen resounded, “Hello, Peter.”

Spider-Man heaved a sigh of relief, and he lost no time, “Grumpy, I need your help.”

The warm and calmness of Stephen's voice totally vanished when he questioned hastily and urgently, “What's happening? Where are you? Are you OK?”

Peter rubbed nervously the back of his neck, “It's not about me... It's about Tony.”

Peter secretly expected Stephen to scowl, even to say that it was not his problem or that he didn't care, but the sorcerer managed to surprise him once more, because he immediately asked gravely, “What about him?”

Peter winced, “He's hurt. That's not life-threatening, at least I don't think so, but he asked me to call a doctor, and I only thought of you... You're probably busy but-”

Stephen interrupted him without politeness, “Where are you?”

“In the Stark Tower.”

There was a short silence, proving that the doctor nodded, “I'm on my way.”

“How are you going to come to the St-” Peter started to ask, but he was interrupted by an amber portal suddenly created a few meters away from him, and Stephen came out, a small emergency kit in his left hand.

Peter's mouth dropped, “How-?”

“I still have your lock of hair, stupid kid.” Stephen smirked. 

Before Peter could react to the fact that he could actually be tracked everywhere by Stephen in an instant, the doctor asked, “Where is he?”

“Er... This way.”

Stephen followed Peter through the Stark Towel, and when they arrived in the living-room, Tony was lying on a sofa. 

When the playboy saw Stephen, he stood up quickly, grimacing when the injury of his shoulder burned because of the sudden movement, “Why did you bring him here, kid?” He protested vigorously, pointing at Stephen. 

Peter forced himself not to roll his eyes : He knew deep down that Tony wasn't really annoyed by Stephen's presence, but the genius was grousing only because it was a habit. 

Actually, Stephen was doing the same thing every time he was with the billionaire, so it was becoming clear that the two of them at that point, were just pretending to hate the other, just to keep and show their stupid pride.

“I have to say that I'm personally offended...” Stephen muttered, raising his finger to show that he was there, but Tony and Peter both ignored him.

The kid replied, “You told me to call a doctor, Tony...”

The playboy glared at the kid, “Yeah, and I added clearly and explicitly : ''Expect the Wizard.''”

Peter blinked, and forced his lips not to smirk, “Oh, sorry... I think I wasn't listening to you, at that moment.” 

Of course, he heard him. 

However, Peter wanted Stephen in person, to be with Tony: If the kid wanted these two to become more than simple ''superhero co-workers'', they had to spend time together. 

Before Tony could react, the teenager noisily clapped, and he announced energetically, “Anyway, I'm gonna leave the two of you alone!”

The adults both let out a horrified “What ?!” at the same time, and Peter smiled, “Yeah, I'm super busy, I mean... I have a lot of homework: Essay, talks on a lot of stuffs, I need to start now!” 

Tony narrowed his eyes, “Kid, you said to me you had no homework, that's why I accepted you to come in my Tower for the afternoon...”

His suspicious voice made Peter briefly smile, before he forced his eyes to widen, “Oh, I said that?” He feigned surprise, “Oh... Well, I lied, obviously. Of course, I lied... Er... Good healing session!”

And the kid ran off, going upstairs. 

While the doctor was washing his hands, Tony frowned, “The kid acts weirdly... I'm sure it's because of the lot of time he spent in your creepy museum you call '' home''. It traumatized him-”

Suddenly, as Stephen dryly moved his hand, Tony was violently dragged by an invisible and strong force towards the sofa, and he ended up lying on his back onto it.

“Wow! That was rude!” He protested, but Stephen was already by his side with his emergency kit, and he simply ordered, “Take off your shirt.”

Tony wasn't even surprised by the fact that Stephen effortlessly found the emplacement of his wound just at a glance. He was astonished however, by his sudden bossy and clinical tone. 

Tony couldn't help but shrivel a little under Stephen's ruthless gaze. However, he still kept his legendary sarcasm, “Seriously, Stephanie... That's your pick-up line? Hey, I'm sure some women find this bossy attitude attractive, but if you want me naked, you have to ask gently, with me...”

Stephen's face stayed cold, “I'm not joking.”

Tony rolled his eyes at him, “Yeah, I already know you're not a big crazy... Do you actually ever joke?”

“OK, last chance. If you don't take off your shirt like a grown man, I'll take it off.”

His gaze dared Tony to object, but of course, the latter did, “Careful, Stephanie... You sound like you actually care about me-”

“Wow!” Tony gasped in surprise, when his shirt was magically removed. Even if that was quite brutal, it didn't touch his wound, or make its case worse. 

It was as if the doctor had more esteem for Tony's wound than for Tony himself. 

“Asshole...” The playboy muttered under his breath, but Stephen had an excellent hearing, “Be nicer with the guy who's about to stitch you up, Tony.” 

Stephen frowned with discontent at the hideous red bandages bathed in blood wrapped in a rush around the top of Tony's shoulder. The doctor removed them gently, to reveal a deep and long laceration, bloody and already infected.

“It's almost nothing...” Tony muttered weakly, blushing a little when he suddenly realized that his scars on his chest were visible. However, as Stephen didn't even look at them, he relaxed a bit, knowing that the doctor won't ask about them. 

“''It's almost nothing''...” Stephen repeated bitterly and annoyingly, taking a deep breath as he rubbed his eyes, “Tony, you're bleeding to death!”

“God, you're such a Drama-Queen, it's noth-” Tony's attempt was met with an infuriated glare, as Stephen spat, “Shut up.”

Tony snapped his mouth shut, as Stephen held in place his both hands on Tony's wound. The doctor's hands were surprisingly warm on the playboy's icy skin. “I need to stop the blood loss, first.”

Then, the sorcerer started to mumble in a different language, his eyes closed. An amber light appeared under his hands, and it connected to the playboy's shoulder. 

Tony expected to feel pain, but he just felt a faint tickling sensation.

After stopping efficiently the blood loss, Stephen gathered the equipment of his emergency kit, and he began to clean the wound with some antiseptic liquid. He was visibly annoyed by Tony's irresponsible behaviour, but his movements were slow, precise, cautious and gentle.

Tony hissed in pain because of the sting of the solution, but he didn't protest, given that he knew that the pain could've been worse if another doctor was taking care of his wound. 

It was actually at that moment, when Tony had nothing to do, that he truly focused on Stephen's face, analysing each facial feature with great care. 

When the doctor was deeply focused on Tony's wound, he was sometimes narrowing his blue eyes as pure as sapphire, pursing his lips, frowning a little, and that was... fascinating.

Actually, Stephen was really good-looking, whatever his expression: Even his annoying illegible, aloof and cold expression had charm... Tony's favourite part of the man was perhaps his light eyes, or his goatee so similar to his. 

“What happened?”

The doctor's deep voice snapped Tony back into reality : He blinked several times, and then, he smirked, “I slipped in my shower.”

Stephen actually smiled a little, so Tony's mouth dropped and his eyes widened exaggeratively, “Wow, your lips, Stephanie... They moved... Was it a smile? Wow, you actually know how to smile, unbelievable!”

Strange rolled his eyes, “What really happened?”

Iron-Man just smirked, “I told you, Stephanie. Don't you listen?”

“Liar.”

Tony winced, “OK, the ''shower lie'' was less humiliating than saying that I've been taken by surprise when I was fighting bad guys...” 

Stephen stopped cleaning the laceration, in favour of taking a needle and stitches. 

Tony frowned, “Er, Stephanie... I don't want to be an asshole right now, but you can't really stitch me up-”

Without flinching, Stephen raised his both hands, closing his eyes, and a white light ran within the palm of his hands, circulating within each of his fingers. Due to this, the scars slowly faded, and their usual trembling reduced. 

Tony's mouth truly dropped, this time, “H-How? You can heal your hands?”

Stephen glanced boringly at him, as he was wiggling his fingers to get used to his steady hands, “C'mon, Tony, don't be offending. Of course, I can.”

Tony saw Stephen's jaw briefly clench when the latter looked at his hands completely clean and steady, and Iron-Man immediately understood why : Stephen was only healing his hands so that he could stitch the deep cut up : After, he will have to get his old and ruined hands back. 

Now that his hands were ready to work, Strange started to stitch Tony up, with know-how. 

Tony noticed that Stephen's hands were actually magnificent when they were working; Each movement was calculated, precise, and seemed second nature, not an act of arrogance. 

Tony sighed slowly, “Sorry you have to live that, Stephanie...”

Stephen didn't even take his eyes off the wound. He continued to work on Tony's injured shoulder, when he asked nonchalantly, “Are you the one who hurt yourself?”

Tony raised his eyebrows, “No.”

“Then, don't apologize.” The sorcerer concluded dryly, finishing his work.

Then, he wrapped tightly and carefully Tony's shoulder with new and thick bandages, while he teased, “I saw you semi-naked as well, Tony... We're even.”

Tony winked with a big and proud smile, “Don't act like you hate it, Stephanie.”

Stephen blushed a little, which was... adorable, for the billionaire. 

Strange shook his head, “The blood loss is making you delirious, Tony.” Then, he added, trying to stay aloof, “You can put your shirt on, now. Slowly.”

As Tony obeyed, Stephen raised dryly his hands, and suddenly, their damages were back: Trembling, and full of scars, as usual. 

Stephen's gaze stared at his hands longer than necessary, a glimmer of sadness in his blue eyes. Tony cleared his throat, as he stood up, “You're OK?”

“Yeah... I just need a minute.”

Tony winced sympathetically, “Do you wanna drink something?”

Stephen distantly nodded, “Yeah... But no alcohol.”

He thought that Tony was going to laugh at him, or ask him stupid question about this refusal which only could refer to old alcoholism, but he just nodded, and asked, “Coffee? I still have some from this morning.”

“Perfect.”

Tony and Stephen headed for the counter. Iron-Man filled a cup of coffee, and gave it to Stephen, who took a long slip with relief. 

Tony became serious, and he glanced at his healed shoulder, “Thanks, by the way, Merlin... You did a pretty good job for a blue wizard with a living cap-Cloak!”

Stephen forced himself to stay cold, staring at the cup in his hands. “You're welcome.”

Then, Tony smirked, “So... When will you ask?”

“Ask what?” 

Tony smiled, as he indicated the cup of coffee Stephen was holding with his chin, “How do I do to make such an amazing coffee, of course!”

Stephen couldn't help but laugh briefly, and it was a new and rather good sound. “I would more likely ask : Who did you pay to make this coffee?”

Tony smiled. It was actually quite entertaining to have a guy like Stephen : He wasn't offended by Tony's blunt honesty, arrogance, dry humour or sarcasm : He was actually sending back gibes with as much talent as him. 

And it felt good. “That was rude, Stephanie!”

Stephen rolled his eyes, “OK, I can admit your coffee's not really bad, it's drinkable.” As Tony started to laugh, shaking his head, Stephen added with arrogance, “But I make coffee better, sorry.”

“Sorry, but I have my doubts.”

Stephen smirked, raising his eyebrows, “The best way to find out is to taste, isn't it?”

Tony nodded, “Then, I'll go to your creepy Sanctum, someday... Just to taste your coffee and confirm my view that I make better coffee than a wizard.”

Iron-Man didn't even wait for Stephen's consent, because his expression became cocky and impish when he purred, “And it's really hard to impress me.”

“I like challenges.”

They shared a quick smile, but then, as Stephen finished his cup, he announced, “I gotta go...”

Already? Tony couldn't help but ask in his mind, while Strange added, “I have ''wizard reality business'' to take care of.”

“Alright, the fun is over...” Tony answered. He was about to escort Stephen to the door, but the sorcerer raised a mocking eyebrow, “I don't need doors to leave, moron.”

Tony didn't lose his composure, “Yeah, but that's cheating ; No magic in my Tower to avoid doors, that's the rule.”

“Since?”

The playboy raised his chin, “Since now.”

Stephen rolled his eyes, but he accepted to get out of the Tower, by a door and not by a portal, accompanied by Tony. 

And Peter, who was watching them since the beginning, waited until he was sure the two adults were outside before whooping loudly, and throwing his fists in the air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks for reading!:)
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter with Stephen and Tony. Yes, they're starting to get closer, and it's a little thanks to Peter!:) 
> 
> Of course, I have plan long-term for this fic, but I actually have no idea yet about the next chapter, so you can suggest me what you would like to read, if I don't find an idea soon, and if you want to, of course!:)
> 
> Thanks for your support!:)
> 
> WIX2


	14. Flirting

Peter was sitting at a table, looking at people who were passing as he was waiting for Stephen. Today, they indeed had planned to have a drink. 

Actually, it was Peter who planned, as usual : If the teenager wasn't there to almost force Stephen to go out a little and at least see the sun for about twenty minutes, the sorcerer would probably rot alone, in his Sanctum.

The kid was always suggesting to Stephen to get some fresh air when he had the feeling that Stephen needed to take a break. 

And he always had a good feeling. 

Suddenly, as his gaze was looking at all the faces in the crowd, looking for Stephen, he saw Laura, a girl from his school. 

He tried to hide his face, being too shy to talk to her spontaneously, but unfortunately, she saw him, and she exclaimed, “Hi, Peter!”

She headed for him, and Peter, completely panicked, asked with a shaking voice, “Oh! Er...You know who I am?” 

Peter closed strongly his eyes, cursing at himself for this stupid question : Of course she knew who he was, they were in the same class, “Oh, of course you do! I'm y-your-” He cleared his throat, “Classmate! We're... You know... In t-the same class...”

“Yeah, I know.” She smiled, unsure, “How are you?”

“Er... G-G-Good!” Peter winced deep down, admitting that he could have said this little word with a little more charisma. 

“Great, what are you doing here?”

“Er... Waiting for a friend.”

“Cool!” Laura answered gently.

There was an awful and long silence, none of them knowing what to say, so Peter stammered uncharacteristically, “Er... Weather's fine today, isn't i-it?”

Laura blinked, raised an eyebrow and then announced, “Yeah, it's a lovely day...” She cleared her throat, “I gotta go...”

“Er... OK, see you-” However, Peter stopped himself, because Laura was already gone. 

Before Peter could feel anger against himself, he heard a teasing, drawling and deep voice comment, “Ouch, that was cold...”

When Peter turned to him, Stephen was nonchalantly leaning on a wall near him, his arms crossed. He wasn't hiding the fact that he's been listening the entire conversation since the beginning.

This time, Stephen wasn't wearing his blue robes and Cloak : He opted for a simple bluejeans, and a white shirt. In this outfit, he seemed more human, less... intimidating.

The kid winced and started to blush in embarrassment, because of course, Stephen had to arrive at the moment when a girl from school was accosting him...

Seeing the kid ill-at-ease, the adult just rolled his eyes, “If this can reassure you, the first time I talked to a girl, I got my face slapped...”

Peter rubbed the back of his head, as Stephen joined him at the table, and sat on a chair in front of him. The kid sighed, “Yeah, the thing's that... It's not the first time I talk to a girl...”

Stephen was struggling to keep a poker face, but it was obvious that he was hiding a smile, “Ah... Well, my second time, the girl used a glass of water as a weapon against me...” As he saw the kid's grimace, he asked, feigning surprise and compassion, “Oh, it's not the second time either?”

Peter narrowed his eyes and huffed, because Stephen's mocking smile was blatant, “Are you having fun, Grumpy?”

Stephen was not ashamed at all when he nodded naturally, “Yeah.”

Their conversation was briefly interrupted when a waiter came to ask them what they wanted to drink: Stephen answered a coffee, and Peter chose a mint syrup. 

They were served not long after.

Peter sighed in despair, and put his face in his hands, “God, I'll never have a girlfriend, I act too stupidly...”

“It's true that you're not the most confident teenager...” Stephen noted bluntly, “I was... I was actually the opposite of you, when I was your age : Confident, cocky, and rather heavy with girls...”

Peter raised his head, suddenly interested, and he said seriously, “I'm sure you were a little jerk.” 

The sorcerer blinked, and then, he laughed. Usually, Peter wouldn't say something like that to anyone, however he knew he could with Stephen, given that the latter had a twisted sense of humour, and liked honesty. 

“What a good image you have of me...” The sorcerer purred, as Peter smirked, “That's a yes?”

Stephen made a face, “OK, you're right : I was a rebel. Following the rules has never been my style, so I got into trouble a lot of times. My parents pulled their hair out a lot of times, because of me...”

Peter shook his head, his gaze soft, “And let me guess : You were a lady-killer?”

Stephen smiled, his blue eyes sparkling, “Yeah, but my cheeks suffered a lot, when I was a teenager.”

Peter couldn't help but laugh a little, but eventually, he winced, “Yeah, well... FYI, girls don't like the ''shy and terrified'' kid either...” He pointed at himself, “I'm the living proof!”

Strange rolled his eyes, “That's not true... Only this girl didn't really appreciate that: You know, a shy teenager, it's rather cute.”

“You must be joking! Laura was probably thinking I was ridiculous.”

“Don't feel regret about her : You lost nothing, because she's not gonna like you for who you are... But one day, you'll find a girl who actually finds you cute, and not ridiculous-”

Then, Stephen stopped himself, blinked, as if he realised just now the conversation they were having, and he muttered with utmost horror, “God, I can't believe I'm talking about that with you...”

“And why if I don't find a girl who accepts me?” Peter asked, his high voice so ridiculously unsure and scared that Stephen couldn't resist the temptation to make fun of him: He sighed dramatically, “Then, I guess you'd still have spiders to keep you company.”

Peter glared at him, and hissed with irony, “HA-HA-HA, very funny!”

Stephen was smiling and he repressed a chuckle, obviously proud of his joke.

Suddenly, the kid's brown eyes widened, as if he had an idea, and Stephen frowned, not liking at all this sudden change, “Whatever it is, kid, it's a terrible idea, forget it.”

The kid ignored his dry comment, and he asked hastily, his voice higher with hope and excitement, “Could you give me some advices to flirt?!” 

Stephen almost choked in his coffee : It was even worse than he was imagining. He refused straight away, with an indignant, and almost horrified voice, “Absolutely not!”

Peter blinked several times, making his best puppy eyes, as he pleaded, “Come on, please, please, please, you said you were a lady-killer, at my age!”

“Yes, but I don't see your point-”

“Then, you can help me!”

As he saw Stephen's still bored face, Peter put his hands together as if he was praying, “Please, please, please, Grumpy, be nice...”

Stephen's cold voice replied bluntly, “I'm not nice. I'm never nice.”

“Then... Try to be nice, for once!”

Stephen stayed inflexible, “Still no.”

Running out of ideas, Peter tried his last hope : His expression became sulky, and he crossed his arms against his chest, “OK, it doesn't matter... I'm sure Tony will help me, him.” 

He emphasised strongly the word ''him'', trying this as a possible weak point, but Stephen glanced calmly at him with an amused gaze, “What you're doing is ugly, kid, I'm not gonna bite.”

Peter shrugged, “At least, he'll have a lot of useful and good advices for me...”

The teenager narrowed faintly his eyes, trying to read Stephen's expression. He had to accomplish an effort not to smirk, when he indeed saw the adult grimacing a little, even pursing his lips.

Peter fired straight : Tony, and their ridiculous war of pride, were indeed a weak point.

There was a short moment of silence, but eventually, Stephen almost groaned, “OK, stupid kid, you won...” 

Peter bit his lower lip not to smirk proudly and cry in victory, and he looked up innocently, as Strange hissed, “First and last advice : Don't stammer, and don't freak out like you just did.”

“But you said it was cute!”

Stephen let out a mocking, but not mean, laugh, “No, being shy and blush is cute.” He corrected him firmly, “You, you can't even put together full sentences. It's almost as if you're about to pass out.”

Peter replied, "But girls are terrifying!”

Stephen smiled, but he raised mockingly his eyebrows, “You're Spider-Man, stupid kid, I'm sure you faced more terrifying things than a teenage girl...”

Peter was not convinced at all, “Er... I won't be so sure about it.”

Stephen took a sip of his coffee, “Look, what you gotta understand, it's that the girls in front of you generally are as frightened as you are. So, relax, take a deep breath, don't do too much, and just try to form proper sentences.” Then, he rolled his eyes, “And don't talk about the weather, that's the worst thing to do!”

Peter winced, “There was an awkward silence! I panicked, I said the first thing that came into my mind!”

“Trust me, silence is better than-” Stephen imitated Peter's high and shaking voice, “''W-Weather is f-f-fine today, isn't i-i-i-t?''”

They both burst out laughing. 

After a moment, Peter asked, gathering all his bravery, “I know it's rather personal but... Do you have a girlfriend?”

Stephen gently shook his head, “No.”

“No one, then?” The kid mysteriously insisted, his gaze staring intently at Stephen. The latter frowned faintly, as he repeated firmly, “No...”

“Would you want to?”

Strange softly let out a bitter laugh, “Who would like to be with me?”

Peter raised his eyebrows, “For a known arrogant man, you're pushing yourself down a lot, Grumpy...”

Stephen sighed, but he didn't contradict him. “It's just... I'm a master of the mystics arts: My duty is to protect the New-York Sanctum Sanctorum, at all cost... I've got a dangerous life, and... Nobody likes danger and insecurity.”

As Peter opened his mouth to reply, Stephen's phone suddenly rang. 

When Strange took a look at the contact's name who was calling, he rolled his eyes and groaned annoyingly, as he picked up, “Wong, please tell me you called me because you miss me, and not because there is a suspicious disappearance, or an attack...”

Wong's voice stayed neutral, “Speaking of suspicious disappearance... Cloak is missing. Is it with you?”

“What?” Stephen couldn't hide his surprise, and he frowned worryingly, “No, Cloak's not with me, I would've noticed...”

Peter put a hand in front of his mouth to hide his smile, and Stephen asked with fear, praying to be wrong, “ Was Cloak kidnapped?”

Wong's voice responded dryly, but surely, “No. I saw it leave by itself : After you left the Sanctum, it waited one or two minutes, and then... It left, and nobody knows where...”

Stephen asked sarcastically, “Do relics run away?”

And of course, as usual, his joke didn't amuse Wong at all. “No! Relics aren't supposed to like travelling, Stephen. It's weird, it's... new and unseen.”

Stephen rubbed the back of his neck worryingly, totally lost, “Alright, thanks for telling me, Wong. I'll find it.”As he hang up, he noticed that the kid's phone was ringing as well. 

Peter saw it was Tony who was calling him. Not surprised at all, he picked up, “Hey, Tony-” However, the kid was rudely interrupted by Tony's voice, “Put Merlin on the phone. Now.”

The kid didn't even ask. He just obeyed, and he clarified when Stephen's gaze was questioning, “Tony wants to talk to you.”

“Oh great, just when I was having a good day...” He muttered under his breath, but he still took the phone, not without sighing, and he put it on his ear, “Hello, Tony-”

Tony almost spat, “Stephanie, what the hell are you playing at?”

Stephen frowned, “What?”

There was a stunned silence, and then, Tony realised calmly, almost boringly, “Oh, you're not aware... It's even worse!”

“What are you talking about? Aware of what?”

“I'm talking about the fact that your living Cloak is currently peacefully in my living room, and of course, it doesn't want to leave!” 

Stephen's eyes widened, “What?”

“Look, I actually like your Cloak, it's funny, and nicer than you, and I can understand the fact that it came to see me : It likes me a lot, it prefers me to you, and that's perfectly normal, it proves that it's at least smart...” 

Stephen was too surprised to reply, or even to roll his eyes, so Tony continued, “But and I insist on the ''but'', it can't go in my Tower whatever it likes!”

Stephen announced firmly, “I'm coming.”

As he hang up, he glanced apologetically at Peter, “Sorry, kid.” 

Peter just smiled, and he urged gently Stephen to leave, “Go, Tony's waiting.”

The sorcerer nodded hastily, and when he stood up, he gently threw money on the table, to pay his drink and Peter's, before going away quickly.

Now alone, Peter muttered under his breath with a smile, “Took you long enough to find the Tower, Cloakie...”

///

When Tony opened his door, after Stephen knocked, he stared at him from head to toe, “Did you forget your wizard blue robes at the dry cleaner, Merlin?” 

As Stephen glared at him, Tony shrugged, “I never said it was a bad thing... You could, you know... Just really forget them there, it won't be a big loss for anybody...”

Stephen ignored Tony's criticism, and he asked, “Where's Cloak?”

“Cozy on the couch.”

Stephen started to blush, and pursing his lips uncomfortably, he rushed towards the living-room, followed closely by the playboy. 

When he arrived, Cloak was still, near the counter. “Cloak...” Stephen whispered gently, uncertainty, and he slowly held out his hand towards the relic, and waited.

Indeed, as Cloak wasn't talking, Stephen had to find a way to communicate with it, at least for the principal : When he was holding out his hand like he was doing currently, Cloak had to wrap itself around his forearm, and squeeze it three times, to say that it was OK.

And Cloak did it, reassuring Stephen that everything was fine, despite its run. Then, the relic naturally went onto his shoulders, and Stephen turned to the playboy, his face as red as Cloak, and he started to stammer, “Tony, I'm so sorry, I... don't know what happened to it-”

Tony crossed his arms against his chest, but he laughed lightly, “Hey, relax, Stephanie, it's not the worst surprise I lived.”

“I owe you one.”

Tony smirked, “That's true, Merlin: You have a lot to apologize for.”

Stephen didn't even think : He discovered these words the second they came out of his mouth, “Do you wanna drink my coffee at my Sanctum, for you to forgive me?”

As Tony grimaced, Stephen couldn't help but being a little offended. However, the billionaire immediately said, “It's not you, the problem- God, I can't realize I said that! It's... Your Sanctum's actually rather...” 

He moved his hands, searching for the appropriate word to employ. 

“Creepy?” Stephen suggested sarcastically, raising an eyebrow, but Tony nodded seriously, with a honest grimace, “Yeah. Too magical for me.”

These words made Stephen notice that Tony was never staying long in his Sanctum... 

Stephen just said, “You're afraid of magic, aren't you? You're scared because you know nothing about it.” 

It wasn't a reproach, because Stephen understood perfectly : Himself, just as Tony, was a man of sciences, and he actually still was, so it had been a shock when he learnt that magic existed, and he had needed a few days so that his mistrust go away. 

However, he quickly had explanation from the Ancient One, or from other masters, so he wasn't into the unknown, contrary to Tony. 

Tony moved dryly his hands in frustration, “I don't know a damn thing about magic, it's hidden... Well, I know what Wong told me, but that's not enough.”

“Not enough for you.” Stephen corrected calmly, but without any annoyance.

Tony nodded firmly, “Exactly!”

Stephen sighed, held out his hand to Tony, and he suggested gently, “Let me explain to you, then.”

Tony raised his eyebrows as he stared at Strange's hand as if it was a dead rat, actually rather surprised that Stephen was willing to share the ''sorcerer's top secret story'' with him, “You trust me?”

Stephen didn't lower his hand, and he blinked boringly, “Are you gonna attack Kamar-Taj with your cute suit and kill us all?”

Tony smirked maliciously, “Only if you piss me off, Dumbledore.” As Stephen rolled his eyes, Tony asked, trying to stay nonchalant, but it was obvious that he was curious, “And where are we going, if I agree?”

“Kamar-Taj.” He answered dryly, and he smirked, “And if you're good, I'm buying you an ice-cream, just after the visit. Sounds good?”

Tony showed his best fake smile, and as he approached slowly the sorcerer, he pointed warningly a finger at him, “The second I see something weird or uncommon over there, I fire!”

Stephen took Tony seriously, as he glanced at the bright reactor on his chest. He knew perfectly that Tony could deploy his suit, in an instant. “Tony, try not to deploy your suit-” As he saw Tony's expression, Stephen added with a sigh, “Often...”

Stephen waited Tony to nod, before opening a portal. 

Then, Tony took Stephen's hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! :)
> 
> Yes, Cloakie and Peter team up!:D
> 
> The next chapter will be Tony, in Kamar-Taj with Stephen and after, there'll have their ''coffee date''!:)
> 
> Hope you'll still enjoy!:)
> 
> Thanks a lot for your comments, kudos, bookmarks... :)
> 
> WIX2


	15. Tony in Kamar-Taj

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally I managed to write this chapter! It was veeeeeery long!:) 
> 
> There are only Stephen and Tony in this chapter, (And Wong!) so no Spidey! :)
> 
> Actually, I'm not very reassured by this chapter, I don't really know why, but I hope you'll enjoy it!:)
> 
> Thanks a lot for all your support!:)
> 
> WIX2

“Really, Tony?” Stephen sighed tiredly while he moved his hand towards the packet of crisps Tony was holding and eating peacefully, making him lose his concentration.

Tony's arms spread, showing that he wasn't understanding the reproach, and he answered defensively, “What? I'm hungry.”

As Stephen rolled his eyes, Tony ate a crisp noisily just by provocation. The sorcerer put his hands on his waist and he muttered, “God, I shouldn't have taken you to the Kamar-Taj kitchen first...”

Tony smiled, and he revealed naturally, “No, you did right, Stephanie : That's the best thing I've seen so far...” He took a crisp from his packet between his fingers, and he stared at it, pretending to analyse it with great care, “The cook's very competent; These crisps made-in-house are divine.” 

He was about to eat it, mouth open, but Stephen quickly stole it, smirking at the billionaire’s indignant look, and he shoved it into his mouth. 

Now that he was satisfied, Strange resumed his explanations, “As I was saying, Agamotto was the father of the mystic arts, but he didn't invent magic : It has always existed, well before Earth... However, Agamotto was the first human who managed to control it and use it.” 

Stephen turned the black platform where a weird necklace in the shape of an eye was settled on, and above their heads, a realistic projection of the universe, with darks skies and countless of stars appeared.

“He understood that the universe was infinite, and who says infinite universe says an infinity of threats.”

As Tony nodded, the sorcerer turned again the platform, creating a small reproduction of Earth which was rotating slowly, and he carried on, “To protect Earth, he recruited men, and trained them in secret : They became the first masters of the mystic arts, like Cagliostro-”

Stephen was interrupted without politeness by Tony's mocking comment, “Gosh, why all the sorcerers have terrible names? Is it the reason why you were accepted?”

Stephen narrowed his eyes and tapped his foot annoyingly, “No. Because I was one of the fastest learners Kamar-Taj ever had and because I saved the world, secondarily.” 

Tony smiled at Strange's arrogance and offended attitude, “No need to be smug, Merlin...”

Stephen totally ignored Tony's last remark, and he continued, “Anyway, Agamotto was their leader and the most powerful sorcerer at that time, so all the masters decided to make him the first Sorcerer Supreme, the most powerful sorcerer who rules Kamar-Taj.”

“And who risks his ass the most...” Tony guessed nonchalantly.

Stephen didn't contradict him, but he didn't react to the remark, “During his time as the Sorcerer Supreme, Agamotto created three sanctuaries around the world.” 

He pointed at a door on his right, “This door leads to the one in Hong-Kong.” He used his other arm to show the door at the opposite, “This one in London...” 

Suddenly, a third arm was magically added to the two others, and Stephen used this conjured up upper limb to point at the third and last door, “And finally, in New-York.”

By surprise, Tony gasped and dropped his packet of crisps, spilling his contents on the floor.

Stephen just pursed his lips, almost annoyed by Iron-Man's astonishment, as if it was perfectly normal to possess three arms. 

Tony glared at him, “God, you could have said to me that you were going to do... that!” 

As Stephen's third arm faded away, the playboy added, pointing at the crisps scattered on the floor, “And this, it's food wastage, Merlin!”

“What a shame.” Stephen purred with irony, crossing his arms against his chest. “It's not my fault if there are more possibilities with magic than with your cute Tech...”

There was not real bite in Strange's voice, but Tony still narrowed his eyes, “Can we go back to Agambatto?”

“Agamotto.” Stephen corrected him dryly while he rolled his eyes, “And I was saying, that the last Sanctum Sanctorum was the one in New-York.”

Tony frowned, confused, “Where you're living?”

Stephen took a short break in their conversation to move briefly his hand, and all the crisps on the floor disappeared. 

“The three sanctuaries together create constantly a protective shield which covers entirely the planet, and which prevents all threatening beings from other worlds to come in.”

Tony guessed, “And each sanctuary needs a master of the mystics arts to protect it.”

The sorcerer nodded. “Now, all the sorcerer are members of the Council, and they are divided into categories : Ones are teachers and are taking apprentices, others are relics' keepers, or master of a Sanctum... It was also the case, before. The only new thing is what the Ancient One brought, in Kamar-Taj : The possibility to cure ourselves with magic, and leave.”

“The Ancient One?” Iron-Man frowned. 

“The former Sorcerer Supreme.”

Stephen's voice became suddenly dry and cold, not as nonchalant as before. Actually, for someone who didn't know Stephen at all, it wouldn't be something noticeable, but it wasn't the case with Tony, so he understood it was a sensitive subject, for the sorcerer.

He asked gently, “Who's the Sorcerer Supreme, now?”

This time, Stephen's answer wasn't as quick as before. The latter pursed his lips, seeming uncomfortable and he sighed, “There's no Sorcerer Supreme any more.”

Tony blinked, “Sorry?”

Stephen briefly closed his eyes, “Today, Kamar-Taj is... weakened, because of the Ancient One's death... There are less and less sorcerers, and more and more to protect, so the Council doesn't have the time to think about a worthy successor...”

Or perhaps they were indeed searching in secret, Stephen didn't know... 

Tony showed the necklace with his chin, “What's that?”

“Something that must be protected at all cost...” Stephen answered vaguely, “Normally, the Sorcerer Supreme has to protect it : Some of them were wearing it around their neck, others were letting it here, but were putting spells on it... Now, as there's no more Sorcerer Supreme, it's protected by the Council and unbreakable spells. Nobody can use it, we can't even create a portal, here.”

“OK, I get it: Being a sorcerer sucks.” Tony summed up.

Stephen nodded gravely, and suddenly, he announced, “I gotta train my students... You're coming?”

Tony frowned, “But you're already the master of the New-York Sanctum...” As Stephen just raised his eyebrows, the billionaire asked with surprise, “You're also a teacher?”

Strange sighed, as the two of them headed for the exit, “As I said, Tony... Less and less sorcerers.”

///

Tony was leaning against a wall, his arms crossed as he was watching with fascination Stephen who was fighting three students at the same time.

Of course, Tony will never admit it, but Stephen's fighting technique was incredible, all the more since he wasn't even using his magic : He was fast, unpredictable, and he seemed to anticipate every single attack with almost perfect reflexes. 

He wasn't gentle at all: He could hit roughly a student who wasn't paying attention enough during the fight, or he could beat them quickly, without giving them a chance to resist for long.

It was as if he has been fighting all his life. 

“Enjoying the view, Stark?” Wong's cold voice brutally broke Tony's thoughts, and he jumped in surprise. 

The sorcerer kept his poker face and his usual flat glare, as he approached him and stopped right next to the playboy. Tony rubbed the back of his neck, and stammered, “Er... yes, I was watching the... mountains.”

Only Wong's eyebrows moved on his jaded face, “I didn't know Tony Stark could drool over... mountains...”

Tony tried to force his face not to become red, but his burning cheeks showed it wasn't a success.

“I'm full of surprise.” Then, Tony added, trying to sound confident and firm, “And I was not drooling!”

Wong pursed his lips, as if he was repressing a smile – no, the small and weird thing we could refer to a smile, concerning Wong – and he didn't answer. 

They watched Stephen and the others students for a long time in silence, until Tony couldn't prevent an admired “Wow!” from coming out, when Stephen avoided a punch by bending with ease, then just pushed his student forwards with an easy shove of his left hand.

Then, Tony's eyes widened and he winced, “Don't tell him I did that.”

Wong didn't even glance at him, “Don't worry, I won't. I don't want his ego to be even more flattered.”

Tony turned towards him, and he smiled, “I like you!”

“I don't.” Wong replied bluntly.

Contrary to normal people who would probably go into a huff, Tony's smile turned even larger, “I like you even more.” 

Wong glanced at him calmly, but didn't answer. Tony turned his attention on Stephen again, and he whispered, “He wasn't kidding when he said he was one of the faster learners Kamar-Taj even had...”

Wong nodded, his hands joined behind his back, “It's painful to admit, but sometimes, he indeed has reason to be an arrogant jerk.”

Tony laughed, and seeing action made him want to have fun : He pretended to talk to Wong, but he teased loudly so that Stephen could hear him as well, “That's easy to win when you don't have real opponent to fight...”

Stephen gave him a calm look, and he stopped the combat, allowing his panting students to take a break. 

As he stretched his muscles, he went peacefully towards Tony, putting his hands on his waist, and he asked, raising his eyebrows nonchalantly, “Something to say, Tony?”

God, even when Strange was a little short of breath and had a few drops of sweat running down his temples, he was good-looking. 

Tony ignored this thought, crossed his arms against his chest and he smirked, “Yeah, you only fight terrifying students who can't put one foot in front of the other...” Then, he gave the students in question a wave of hand, shouting, “No offence!”

In the past, Stephen would probably react aggressively. However, now that he knew Tony better, he was just amused. So, he smiled and moved his hand towards the place where the students and him were fighting earlier, “Please, Tony, be my guest.”

Tony raised his eyebrows, “Do you really want to see your dear image of the ''bad-ass and invincible professor'' broken?”

“I like challenges.”

Iron Man nodded, and together, they went in the middle of the yard, and Tony pointed at the group of students who was gathering around them, “I'm gonna avenge you all!” 

The crowd laughed, as the playboy turned towards his opponent and rolled up his sleeves, “I hope you like dust, Stephanie, because I'm gonna make sure you bite it...”

Stephen smiled, and he spread his arms, “No magic.”

“No armour.” Tony returned the courtesy, “One little advice : Don't get too much distracted by my pretty fac-”

Tony was barely able to react as Stephen closed the distance between them quickly. He feigned to Tony's knee, whereas his target had been his chest.

Iron-Man blocked the kick, not without difficulty.

Having the advantage of surprise, Stephen's other punch sent Tony shuffling backwards. “You talk too much, Tony.” He purred with a smirk. 

He then aimed a wild punch Tony avoided, and the latter was more prepared, this time : He cleverly used the force of Stephen's swing to pull his arms backwards and caging him against his chest. 

“I expected better from you, Stephanie.” Tony whispered in Strange's ear as he was holding firmly the latter's arms behind his back, twisting them without harming. 

It took longer than necessary for Stephen to act: Time seemed to slow down, because he was feeling every inch of his back pressed against Tony's chest, and Tony's hot breath tickling the side of his neck. 

It sent shivers down his spine. 

However, Stephen blinked and pulled himself together quickly : He hooked his foot against the back of Tony's knee and pulled. The playboy lost his balance, and they both fell on the ground. 

Strange and Tony were on their feet at the same time. For a long moment, they just exchanged light blows, kicks, punches with the encouragement of the students, but neither side was taking advantage. 

Only Wong wasn't cheering and clapping, but he was watching the fight with utmost interest. 

Little by little, they were both getting tired, their attacks were becoming more and more erratic, but Stephen managed at a moment to tackle Tony to the ground, and he took the opportunity to straddle him and pin him down while he still could. 

He put his knees upon the ground on each side of Tony's body, which was now trapped beneath Stephen's legs, and he held his opponent's arms down. 

The sorcerer pushed his weight down upon Tony, blocking him efficiently on the ground, despite his struggles. 

“I expected better from you, Tony.”

Tony tried to free himself from the long arms which were holding his, while Stephen's strong legs were draped over his calves, immobilizing them, but in vain.

However, against his will, Stephen's mind turned from being fixed on his opponent to something else : He could feel Tony's skin rubbing his, his body pressed against his. He could feel his heartbeat accelerate, his breathing stop for a second. 

Their faces were near, their lips, a few centimetres apart. 

They were... close. 

Too close. 

Lost in a daydream, his throat suddenly too dry, Stephen's hold weakened considerably, allowing Tony to escape: The latter quickly flipped himself over, and he pinned Stephen beneath him, blocking his member with an arm-lock. 

“Distracted by my pretty face, Stephanie?” Tony teased playfully and softly, not knowing how right he actually was. He winked and blew Stephen multiple kisses when the latter glared and blushed. 

Then, the sorcerer grimaced and tapped a few times the ground, telling Tony that the arm-lock was becoming painful, and Iron-Man immediately let him go.

“I won.” He declared proudly, while he got up with a smile, and he offered his hand to help Stephen get up. 

For a moment, Tony was afraid Stephen would react badly and be offended, but contrary to Tony's expectation, the sorcerer took his hand, and after being back to his feet, he nodded with respect, and he raised his arms to applaud, wanting the others to join his clap. 

Tony leant forwards to greet the students who were clapping with Stephen. 

“Not bad for someone who doesn't use his cute armour.” Stephen smirked. Tony wriggled his eyebrows, and he said, “I think we both deserved a break, Merlin... How about that drink you promised me?”

Stephen smiled freely, and that was the most beautiful thing Tony has ever seen. 

///

“Why did you choose to become a sorcerer?” Tony asked, as soon as he came back with Stephen in the New-York Sanctum. 

Strange took his time to drink a little of the tea he just conjured up, before answering, “Generally, it's becau-” However, Stephen was brutally interrupted, “I don't care about the general stories... I wanna hear yours.”

Tony's voice was so serious and his gaze was staring at him so intently, that the sorcerer understood Tony was sincere : He was truly interested. 

Stephen couldn't have imagined he would one day open up to Tony Stark, but he did, “Before, I didn't want to. I only wanted to heal my hands.”

Tony nodded, and asked calmly, “What made you change your mind?”

Stephen pursed his lips, and he looked down, pretending to be suddenly fascinated by his cup, “For most of my life, I've been... selfish, I was only caring about myself, about my career, about my reputation...”

He cleared his throat, “When I lost everything, and started to study the mystic arts, I realised little by little how selfish, arrogant and cold I had become, so I wanted to repair my past mistakes by protecting and saving others, by caring about the lives I'm saving: All the things that I should have done and-”

Stephen stopped, and when he continued, his voice was a hoarse whisper, “And how I should have been, when I was a doctor...”

He quickly glanced at Tony, to see if the latter was going to let out a mocking comment, but he was quiet and waiting patiently for the rest of the story.

The sorcerer sighed, “So, I devoted my life to the mystic arts, it became truly a duty, and...” He shrugged, “Here I am.”

Then, Stephen cleared his throat, and he pointed at Tony, “What about you? Why the famous arms dealer Anthony Stark became Iron-Man ?”

Tony seemed surprised that Stephen was interested in him, “I'm sure you've already seen the news... You know what happened to me.”

Stephen shook his head, “No, I know what the journalists said, that's totally different...”

The sorcerer thought Tony would stay silent, but contrary to all expectation, the latter sighed, “When I was kidnapped in Afghanistan, far away from my home or my friends, I actually had the time to think, and to see... You know, what went wrong in my life... Or, what I have done wrong...”

“Which was?” Stephen asked calmly, keeping his face neutral. 

Tony shrugged, “I wasn't taking anything seriously, I wasn't caring... That was my big problem: I wasn't caring about my job, about my popularity, about my friends... And actually, being far from all of this...”

“You realised it was the most precious thing you ever had.” Stephen finished for him.

Tony had the courage to look up, “Yeah...” He swallowed, “I promised myself that if I could get out of there and go back to the USA, I would care, I would treat my friends and my responsibilities as they should have been treated: With seriousness.”

He pointed at himself, “And Iron-Man was born.” 

Then, he grinned a little, but his smile was quickly wiped from his face after he said, “So, you see, Stephanie... We have more in common than just our fabulous looks.”

As Stephen just rolled his eyes, Tony approached the sorcerer, until he had to hold his head high to continue looking into Strange's eyes, “Actually, I have a proposition for you.”

Strange replied dryly, “No.”

Normal people would certainly give up or be offended, but Tony just rolled his eyes, "You don't even know what it is.”

“True, but it's coming from you, so it'll be a terrible idea.”

Tony laughed a little, but then he revealed with utmost seriousness, “I would like you to join the Avengers.”

Stephen's surprise was so strong that he nearly burst out laughing. “Your boys band?!” He almost shouted. 

As Tony gave him a dirty look but nodded confidently, Stephen corrected himself, “Alright, your broken team? Sorry to be that rude, but the Avengers doesn't exist any more... That's a name, with nobody in it.”

Tony kept his chin proudly raised, and he didn't lower his gaze, showing that he agreed with the sorcerer on this point, “True, but it's not because a team is broken that it can't be fixed... With new members.”

“Did you actually listen to me or did I speak for the walls? The sorcerers have to stay unknown, and you, you suggest me to join the Avengers, the most known and mediatized superhero team...”

Tony rolled his eyes, “I listened! That's why you would only help us in the shadow, you would not be an official member, and we could help you in return-”

Stephen frowned darkly, and he pocked Tony in the chest with a displeased finger, interrupting him sternly, “I don't need the Avengers. I don't want them to interfere in my business, Tony.”

It almost sounded like a threat, but the billionaire was not offended. Actually, he was more focused on Stephen's warm finger on his chest than on his strong refusal. 

He cleared his throat and managed to reply only when the doctor removed his finger, “You said it yourself : There's not enough sorcerers any more, and we both know Earth will never be safe : When a threat is gone, another will come.”

As Stephen wasn't saying anything, Tony sighed, “Look, trust me, I don't want to be involved in your ''wizard reality business'' all the time, just like you wouldn't help the Avengers 24 hours a day, but just... What if someday, Kamar-Taj is overtaken by events, then you'll be glad to have allies to save your magical ass...”

Stephen's gaze was becoming less and less determined to refuse, “I don't know, Tony-”

Tony added, “And if the Avengers are overtaken by events, then a wave of a magic wand would be quite useful!”

Stephen was not totally convinced, and was still balancing the pros and the cons inside his mind, so Tony said gently, “Stephanie, we actually have the same goal: Protecting Earth from threats. Why don't we team up to be stronger and more efficient? It's win-win.”

Stephen sighed, but this time, it was more because of regret than because of hesitation, “Tony, I'm not the Sorcerer Supreme, I don't know if the Council will agree and I don't take the decisions-”

But again, Tony didn't allow him to finish his objection, “It's not the Council or thousand of sorcerers that I want : I just want you.”

This blunt revelation shut Stephen up for a long moment, as he stared at Tony's face, lost in his thoughts. Then, he pursed his lips, “I'll think about it.”

Tony nodded, “Better than a no, I guess...” 

He put his hand inside his pocket, and he retrieved a small card that he gave to the sorcerer, “Here's my number. Call me when you have decided.”

Stephen studied the business card with great care: It was lightweight, crafted from some sort of metal, and there was not even a name, only Tony's number.

Then, he smirked freely, “Oh, Tony, admit it: You suggested me to join the Avengers just to have the perfect excuse to give me your number.”

Tony laughed, “You wished, Merlin.” Then, he spread his arms, “So... When will I have my ice-cream? I shot no one back there.”

Stephen rolled his eyes, but he didn't protest or refuse : After all, a promise was a promise. When they headed for the exit, Tony pointed at him, “Oh, and before I forget, when you'll come back in Kamar-Taj, could you send my regards to my favourite sorcerer?”

“Who is?” 

“The cook, obviously!”

Stephen pretended to be into a huff, and he crossed his arms against his chest, “OK... Well, Tony, if you like him so much, why don't you eat an ice-cream with him?”

Tony flashed a bright smile at Stephen, “Oh, don't be jealous, Merlin, you're actually my second favourite sorcerer...” He blinked, “Or the third, after Wong... Or the fourth, after Cloak...”

Stephen chuckled, as he opened the door of his Sanctum, “I'm so honoured to know that I'm on your top five...”

Tony winked, “As you should be, my Awesome Facial Hair Bro.”

As Strange looked at Tony with utmost horror, the latter burst out laughing.


	16. Emergency : Part I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey ! Finally, a new chapter! I'm so sorry for the wait!:)
> 
> Hope you'll enjoy it !:)
> 
> And again, thanks again for all your supports, you're amazing! I could never have imagined this story would have more than 1000 kudos !:)
> 
> WIX2

Stephen just set a foot outside his portal, when Wong grumbled without even taking his eyes off the book he was reading on his desk, “No portal in the library, Stephen. How many times do I have to tell you this?” 

He glared at Strange who was approaching him almost shyly, and Wong's annoyed face intensified, “Oh, no, I know that look.”

Stephen blinked, and he forced his voice to be innocent and astonished while he stopped in front of the librarian, “What are you talking about?”

Wong narrowed his eyes, showing that he was not believing a word. He closed dryly the book he was reading, stood up and he leant forward, putting his hands on his desk, “What do you want to tell me?”

Stephen wasn't sure if he had to be annoyed by Wong's relevance or admiring, but either way, pretending not to understand wasn't the solution, “OK, fine... There's indeed something...” 

Stephen wasn't receiving any encouragements from his friend who was staying silent, so he was forced to add, “Something... weird.”

“Stephen, be a little more precise, or I'm gonna fall asleep.”

“That's not easy to say!”

Wong kept his illegible face, and he spread his arms, announcing loudly, “OK, I'm busy, good luck with your problem...” As he was pretending to leave, turning his back on Stephen, the latter almost shouted, reaching out to the librarian, “No, wait!”

“Yes, Stephen?” Wong stopped, and just turned his head towards him, with raised eyebrows. 

“I...” Stephen cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck. He squeezed his eyes shut, and admitted quickly before he could change his mind, “I felt something weird when I was fighting with Tony.”

Wong immediately stopped turning his back on him : He came closer to Stephen, staring intently at him while he muttered, “Ah, it's becoming interesting...”

Stephen found his interested gaze quite disturbing, but he just let it go for now, because he wanted to be done with it, “We had to touch each other, it's inevitable when we're fighting, and then I... You know.”

He moved his hands awkwardly, trying to communicate with movements as he couldn't find an appropriate word. 

“No, I don't.” Wong replied dryly, crossing his arms against his chest impatiently. 

However, Wong was amused to see Stephen so uneasy, so the fact that it was lasting wasn't bothering him. 

Stephen groaned in frustration, and he let it out, “OK, I shivered, I could not think about something else, this... contact distracted me from the fight! It was just... I don't know how to describe it!”

“Use an adjective.” Wong ordered coldly, and Stephen obeyed straight away, “Electrical.” 

This word left Strange's mouth before his brain could comprehend it, and he added vulnerably “I never felt that, Wong... I don't know what it is.”

He glanced at Wong helplessly, searching desperately for an answer, and Wong knew it perfectly. 

Indeed, Strange was not a man who would tell others about his private life easily : It was more difficult to make Stephen talk than ruling Kamar-Taj... 

Wong knew it from Dormammu : Despite his tries, Stephen has never told him what happened to him, in the Dark Dimension. 

Not a clue. 

Just these blue eyes shining with an unbearable pain, and nothing else. 

However, things were different, now : Stephen really had to be pushed to the limits and lost, to look for help right now. 

Without compassion, Wong remained stonily indifferent, and he asked, “Stephen... When exactly did you imagine I was the ideal person to give you advices ?”

“Because you're my... friend?”

“Your only friend here.” Wong clarified bluntly, and he stayed stone-faced when Stephen glared, “Thank you so much, Wong.” He raised a finger, “And that's not really true. I've got Cloak.” 

When he mentioned Cloak settled on his shoulders, the relic's collar nodded proudly. Wong rolled his eyes, but he didn't contradict him, “OK, another question: Who's the doctor, between you and me?”

“Well, me.” Stephen answered rather stupidly. 

Wong struggled not to smirk, “So, you're in a better position to know what that means, you know the human body by heart... When a person shudders because of a touch... What can it be?”

Stephen rubbed his face tiredly, but he answered with confidence and knowledge, “It can be because of disgust, horror, fear-”

“Are you disgusted by Stark?”

“Er...” Strange started, but Wong interrupted him rudely, rolling his eyes, “Answer honestly.” 

The doctor signed, but he was obliged to admit, “No, I'm not.”

Wong repressed a jubilant smile as he finally brought the solution to the problem subtly, “What's the other option?”

Stephen blinked several times, his brain trying to process what Wong meant. For a genius, Stephen could really be stupid and blind : The solution was quite obvious, but the librarian didn't reveal it, he wanted Strange to find it by himself. 

Finally, Stephen understood. His eyes widened in horror and he started to laugh nervously, “No, Wong, absolutely not! Are you kidding?” 

Wong opened his mouth, but Stephen didn't even let him start his objection, “That's totally stupid, I do not...” 

He paused, and spat the rest as if it was the most disgusting thing he ever thought of, “... have a sexual attraction for Tony!”

A grin slowly crossed Wong's face, and Strange ordered sternly, “Don't smile!”

Wong didn't erase his smirk, he just raised his hands, “You always say you like when I smile...”

Stephen ground his teeth, “Yeah, but not now! Just, don't.” He suddenly blushed under the intensity of Wong's gaze, and he grumbled, “OK, that was a terrible mistake. Next time I want an advice, I'll talk to Cloak!”

His friend rolled his eyes, “I don't see the problem here, Stephen... Stark is a-”

Wong didn't even had the chance to finish his sentence.

“I do not feel any ''physical passion'' for him!” Stephen denied stubbornly, stressing each syllable. As Wong opened his mouth, the doctor spat, “End of the conversation!”

“OK, OK...” Then, Wong smirked. His gaze dwelt upon Strange's blue robes, and he muttered, “It would be a little bit more convincing if you hadn't Stark's card in your pocket constantly.”

Stephen's mouth dropped. He didn't even question the fact that Wong saw it that easily. He tried to defend himself with confidence, but he ended up stammering like a teenager, “That's not at all- Yes, it's- it's his number but I-I have to call him...”

Wong raised his eyebrows, trying to look bored, but his lips were still wriggling. Stephen finished firmly, but a little too loudly, “... For business!”

Wong just repeated, crossing his arms against his chest, “Right, business.” 

Suddenly, Stephen's phone started to ring, freeing the doctor from this awkward conversation. He struggled not to heave a sigh a relief, as he took a bit too quickly his phone. 

Saved by the bell!

He couldn't help but smile fondly when he saw that it was Peter who was calling him. It's been a while since they last saw each other. 

He missed him. 

As he picked up, the familiar high voice rang joyfully, “Hi, Grumpy!”

“What's up, stupid kid?” Stephen asked warmly, suppressing his ridiculously happy smile when Wong raised his eyebrows with a mocking gaze, near him. 

“We're going to have a snack with Tony, at Dri's Restaurant. Do you wanna come?”

Tony's sarcastic voice intervened loudly, “But if you unfortunately can't come, it's not a problem at all!”

Stephen could perfectly imagine the big grin on Tony's face, as if the latter was in front of him. “Oh, Tony... Still upset because of the ice-cream?”

Tony must have taken Peter's phone, because when he answered, his teasing voice was clearer than before, “Oh, you mean, the horrible ice-cream you bought me? Don't worry, though, I don't hold a grudge against you...” 

Stephen rolled his eyes, but his lips were smiling, “I'm so grateful...”

“Yes, I admit I'm a demanding costumer, it's hard to impress me.”

Stephen raised his eyebrows, “You're just a pain in the ass-”

He was interrupted by Tony's fake indignant voice, “Stephanie, please, there's a fragile child here!”

“A fragile child who would like to get his phone back!” Peter protested lightly with a little laugh. 

Stephen understood that the muffled noises he heard were due to the kid who was violently taking his phone off Tony's hand, “So, can you come, Grumpy?”

Strange sighed sadly, “I really would like to. However, I'm busy, right now : I must banish a weird and sticky monster we captured two hours ago on Earth... It's complicated to explain on the phone.”

“Oh... OK, I understand!” Peter sounded indeed understanding, but disappointed above all.

Stephen immediately felt guilty, but he didn't have the time to speak, because Tony's voice intervened seriously, “Be careful Stephanie, OK?”

Stephen felt a spreading sweet warmth through his chest. However, it was out of the question to show he was touched, so he made sure to suppress the emotions from his tone when he purred, “Wow... For a second, I thought you were worried about me, Tony, but I must be exhausted...”

“I just want my Awesome Facial Hair Bro in top condition!”

Stephen ground his teeth, as he hissed coldly, “I told you not to call me that!”

His sudden aggressive tone didn't perturb Tony, because he replied calmly and peacefully, “Yes, thirty times already, I've counted.”

It was probably true, but that fact didn't prevent Tony from continuing... 

As if it was the strongest argument which could excuse Tony from this terrible nickname, the latter specified, “And Peter loves it!” 

“No, I actually agree with Grumpy on this, it's horrible.” As Tony pretended to glare at him, Peter raised his hands, “I mean not horrible-horrible, but just... horrible.”

Tony sighed dramatically, “Stephanie, you turned the kid against me. I hope you're ashamed of it.”

Stephen rolled his eyes, “Yeah, it keeps me awake.”

His sarcastic comment made Tony laugh. Then, Stephen remembered brutally that he had work to do, so he just said, “I gotta go... Enjoy your meal!”

“Thanks, my Awesome Fac-”

Stephen hung up, a tiny smile on his lips, which disappeared quickly when he met Wong's teasing, but impatient gaze. 

Strange cleared his throat noisily and he asked, determined “Are the others masters ready for the banishment ?”

Wong just nodded. 

Even if Stephen sounded confident, he was a bit nervous about it. Indeed, it was a very complicated spell, because it couldn't be made alone : The more there were sorcerers, the more the banishment spell was efficient. 

On the other hand, the more sorcerers was sharing a spell, the more it was difficult to maintain it properly : They had to share the strain of their magic among them perfectly to make the monster disappear from Earth and make him rejoin his planet of origin.

This weird monster had been found on Earth two hours ago, but the creature didn't have the time to inflict damages or be noticed, because Stephen with the help of Wong and others masters, quickly captured it, and brought it in Kamar-Taj. It's now trapped in a strong binding spell, in the Mirror Dimension.

Actually, the monster wasn't wicked : It came here by accident, caused by a breach between dimensions in the multi-verse. 

But it was scared, disoriented, and extremely strong. 

The monster was big, black, and fat. It had about ten eyes, each one being yellow and bulging. Its mouth had rows of razor-sharp teeth. However, the most dangerous thing about this creature was his long tentacles, which could destroy a building just by hitting it. 

Consequently, this creature was a threat.

However, when Wong created a portal to where they were keeping the monster locked, the strident alarm of Kamar-Tak rang out. 

It was only activated in case of emergency: The students had to lock themselves in their bedrooms, and all the masters had to hold an emergency meeting, in the Council's room.

The Council had to be reunited. 

Something was wrong.

The two sorcerers shared a quick and apprehensive look, and they understood the problem when they glanced at the portal still open. 

They rushed towards the Council's room, ordering the panicked students they were seeing to go into their bedrooms. 

The monster escaped the binding spell. 

It was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for this end !
> 
> The next chapter, we'll finally see the members of the Council, and we'll see where the monster is ( and where it might go, on Earth ) and in parallel, Tony and Peter!:)
> 
> I gotta warn you : There will be action and angst (like, really angst...), in the nexts chapters... :(
> 
> Hope you enjoyed it!:)
> 
> WIX2


	17. Emergency : Part II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I'm so sorry for the wait! I'm busy, so it's hard to write, but the new chapter is here, and I hope you'll like it! 
> 
> I'm sorry as well if I don't answer all your messages, but I read them all, and they make my day!:)
> 
> Just an information : For those who don't know, I published a new story (of course, about Tony, Stephen and Peter), entitled ''A Strange Web of Iron'', which is basically a re-write story of Iron Man 1, with Peter as his adoptive son and Stephen as his future... lover. :) 
> 
> Don't worry, though, it's not because I write another story that I'm gonna abandon this one! I'll continue this story for a long, long time! :)
> 
> Thanks again for all your support, you are the best!:)
> 
> WIX2

“Master Strange.”

“Master Yanna.” 

The two masters of Kamar-Taj briefly shook their hand, nodding respectfully at each other. Even if Stephen was nervous, he couldn't help but smile a little at her. 

Indeed, Yanna was one of the only masters Stephen respected, and from her part, she was one of the only ones who really appreciated him. 

Actually, the great majority of the other sorcerers either hated him because of his defiant attitude, or they were jealous of his quick progress, in the mystic arts. 

Contrary to them, Yanna liked Stephen's hard frankness and defiance : She even told him once that it was thanks to his annoying stubbornness that he saved Earth so many times, consequently she couldn't hate that rude part of him.

Suddenly, Stephen felt a familiar, but still unpleasant and sharp, pressure inside his mind. Closing his eyes, he managed to organize his mental defences to eject Yanna from his thoughts, but the violent attack still shook his mind.

“Really? You test my mental resistance right now? It's not the right moment...” The doctor grumbled with a grimace, without really being annoyed. 

Yanna smiled wisely, “It's always the right moment, and I'm proud : You made progress.”

Stephen allowed a cocky smirk to appear on his face, “Is it surprising?”

“No.”

Yanna's field of expertise was mental power : She was a formidable telepath, much better than Stephen, which was normal considering the fact that she was his teacher. 

She was capable of reading minds, but she could also read emotions and control them. Yet, the scarier was not her power, but her disturbing gaze : Piercing, insistent, as if she could see every secret hidden inside your soul.

Stephen should probably be afraid of her, but fear was not in his nature. 

He asked her, not bothering to hide his worry, “Do you know how the monster could have escaped?”

Yanna shook her head, pursing her lips nervously, “The binding spell wasn't strong enough, that's an evidence...”

Stephen opened his mouth, but he didn't have the time to let out a word, because a dry and raw voice intervened angrily, “Who's the pathetic incompetent who made the fucking binding spell?!” 

Dagan. 

Perhaps the master Stephen hated the most. 

The worst was that Dagan was a brave and competent sorcerer, always ready to risk his life for others, always ready for a good fight. 

However, he was childish, impulsive, disrespectful and rude towards the others masters and the students. 

Stephen gave him a dirty look, and he hissed scornfully, “Instead of punishing a scapegoat, we should spend our energy searching for the monster before it's too late, Dagan.”

Dagan narrowed his eyes at him, but the Council was finally complete, so he couldn't reply. They all sat on a chair, surrounding a big and round table, but nobody dared to talk.

Stephen took a deep breath, and he asked coldly, “Where can it be, now?”

“The monster is currently in the Mirror Dimension.” Wong answered, but his concerned face showed that he was not reassured at all by this fact, that's why Stephen guessed darkly, “But it can go out.”

Dagan glared at him, and he spat meanly, “Your brilliant photographic memory didn't memorize that one, Strange? Without a sling ring, nobody and nothing can get out of the Mirror Dimension! It's not possible.”

Stephen stayed calm, and he glanced boringly at him, “Just like it's not possible to get out of a binding spell?”

His harsh sarcasm was followed by a tense silence, and Yanna cleared her throat, “I agree with Master Strange. We need to take this in consideration : The population is threatened. We have to know where it is, quickly.”

Dagan rubbed his face, “We can't track it in the Mirror Dimension.”

It was painful to admit, but Dagan was right: Even if a few sorcerers were going looking for it in the Mirror Dimension, it could take days to find it, and clearly, they couldn't lose that much time. 

While all the masters were searching a solution, rubbing tiredly their faces and biting their nails down to the quick, Dagan suddenly suggested, “We could wait.”

Stephen clenched his jaw and replied rudely, “Wait what? That it frees itself from the Mirror Dimension and kill innocent people in the real world?”

Yanna pointed calmly at Stephen, “Master Strange has a point : It's a risky move.”

However, Dagan still defended his plan, his chin proudly raised, “But it's the only one we've got. We can do it : The second the monster is outside the Mirror Dimension, we track it, and then we join it to do the fucking banishment spell.”

Stephen struggled not to tear his hair out when he realised with frustration what Kamar-Tak had become ; The truth is that something that catastrophic would never have happened, at the time of the Ancient One : Before, the sorcerers were acting to prevent a tragedy from happening. 

Now, they had to wait for the monster to put people in danger to act and try to minimise the damages...

It was so pathetic that Stephen suddenly understood why a lot of sorcerers left. 

Suddenly, Aadil who stayed silent this entire time, intervened darkly, “There's a problem we didn't think of, though : If we do that, the sorcerers will use magic in front of everyone, and I'm not even talking about the pictures, televisions or Internet : We will be seen by the entire world, and-”

Stephen's anger made him interrupt Aadil without any respect or politeness : He hissed furiously through clenched teeth, “And the Great Agamotto said we have to stay unknown... Well, that's too bad.”

Yanna glanced sternly at him, but when she reprimanded him, her voice was gentler than the doctor thought, “Master Strange, measure your words.”

Stephen ignored her, “My priority right now isn't to please Agamotto, but to protect innocent lives.” 

Aadil coldly maintained visual contact, “But the laws mustn’t be ignored.”

Stephen brutally got up, knocking his seat in the process, and he roared, his face twisted by anger and indignation, “So what? We don't intervene, because we can be discovered? Just like cowards?”

“Master Strange-” Aadil gently tried to interrupt him, but Stephen was too angry to care, “We're talking about innocent lives, about children, women, men! People can be killed, and cities completely destroyed because of the monster, and I'm not gonna sit there doing nothing !”

He actually shouted at the end of his protest. Stephen was capable of being downright terrifying, when he was furious, so all the sorcerers, even Aadil, shrivelled a little. 

When the silence was too suffocating, Dagan sighed, and ended up revealing as he pointed at Stephen, “It's hard to admit, but I agree with Strange.” 

“Master Strange.” Yanna corrected him dryly, glancing at him with a reproaching look. Dagan shrugged, but he didn't correct himself. 

Then, Yanna nodded at Stephen, with a tiny smile, “I agree as well.”

Wong sighed, never leaving Stephen out of his sight, “It's true, we can't abandon citizens. We have to take the risk of being discovered.”

Stephen wasn't expecting the other masters' support, and he couldn't be more grateful. His anger slowly reduced, even if his ruthless gaze was still burning. 

Aadil accepted nobly the disagreement, and he sighed, “Then, let's do it. Master Dagan and Master Strange, you'll do the tracking spell, while Master Yanna and myself will reunite as many sorcerers as possible.”

Stephen nodded with determination and relief, but Dagan sneered darkly, “Sounds peachy, but we need something to track it, we're not Jesus... especially Strange.” 

Stephen gave him a dirty look, but Dagan pretended not to see it. Aadil rolled his eyes, and he replied coldly, narrowing his dark eyes, “Master Dagan, we are not as incompetent as you think we are.” 

With his choice of words, Aadil moved his hands, his eyes closed by concentration, and a long cut tentacle belonging to the monster appeared at his feet, “We cut it off just in case, when the monster got caught. Will that be enough?”

“Yes, it will.” Stephen affirmed, smiling a bit at Aadil, and Dagan clapped noisily and rubbed his hands together, “Let's do it.”

The two sorcerers took place at each side of the tentacle. Aadil put a world map between them, while Dagan conjured up a small dagger, and the latter pricked his finger, and one drop of blood fell on the map. 

Beside him, Stephen did the same, mixing his own blood with Dagan's on the map. Then, they both pricked the tentacle, and poured a single drop of its yellow blood on the map.

Then, they put their hands on the tentacle and they both closed their eyes. 

At first, they were feeling nothing, and the blood mark was not moving, given that the monster was still in the Mirror Dimension, out of their reach. 

So, they waited. 

They actually had not idea how long they stayed in that position, waiting for the monster to show itself, but at a moment, they felt it.

The monster escaped the Mirror Dimension. 

The two sorcerers quickly tracked it, feeling a burning sensation in their hands pressed against the tentacle, and the drop of blood on the world map slowly moved towards the United States, towards New-York, and at a moment, it stopped. 

Aadil put his hand just above the blood mark, and he made appear the exact localisation of the monster on Earth, in gold letters.

“That's not possible.” Yanna whispered, horrified, as she covered her mouth with an shaking hand. When Stephen opened his eyes and saw where the creature landed, his heart skipped a beat, and a painful fear froze his chest. 

Because the monster was currently in New-York, near the Dri's Restaurant.

///

“Do you realise, Tony? She talked to me four times, today!” Peter almost shouted, and he made a short pause just to take a chip and dip it into a sauce, “That's weird, because normally, she speaks to me just once a day...”

He glanced at Tony, who was chewing his burger in silence, and as he wasn't asking anything, Peter carried on, “And usually, she just asks me ''Which room we're in, Peter?'', or ''Do we have homework to do, for today?'', or other shit like that-”

His eyes widened when he realised he just insulted school in front of Tony, so he hastened to correct himself, grimacing and raising a finger, “No, I didn't say shit, I said... thing : School is important, it's... very important, but anyway!”

He swallowed his chip, and he continued, “Today, she talked to me four times, one to say to me ''Hello!'', the other time, she asked me, ''How are you?'', then if I wanted to eat with her in the canteen, and to finish, she asked me if I wanted to go out for a drink, tomorrow night!”

He spread his arms, as if it was the most incomprehensible thing he ever lived, “How was I supposed to react, Tony? I panicked, I said nothing and I-”

He finally stopped his monologue when he saw Tony's lost face and his confused frown. 

“Did I lose you?”

Tony nodded shamelessly, “Er... Yes.”

Peter sighed, but he didn't blame his mentor ; He even smiled a little, “Where did I lose you?”

Tony stroke his goatee, and he teased, “When you said ''Tony, I need to tell you something''.”

Peter narrowed his eyes, and he gently hit Tony's shoulder in revenge, “Hey! That's actually important to me!”

The playboy laughed, but he put his burger down, in order to focus completely on the kid, “OK. So, if I understood correctly, and please allow me to to sum up because it was complicated, a girl asked you today to go out for a drink, tomorrow night...”

Peter nodded with a smile, satisfied that Tony understood the essential element of his monologue, “Yes!”

Tony just raised his eyebrows, completely bored, “And?”

“And... And I don't know what it means!”

Tony rolled his eyes while he took a chip, and he explained with an obvious and a little mocking tone, “It means she wants you to go out for a drink with her, tomorrow night...”

Peter chuckled, “I know that, I'm not deaf ! Just... What does that really mean?”

Tony struggled not to smile fondly at the kid's desperate and pleading state for an answer. It was so adorable that Tony sighed, but decided to help him, “Kid, you think too much.”

His cheeks burning, Peter lowered his head, “Sorry.”

Tony rolled his eyes, “OK. How did she say it?”

The kid frowned while he looked up, “What?”

Tony let out an annoying groan at Peter's confusion and he clarified, “Was she shy, embarrassed, confident when she asked you to go out?”

Peter blinked, tried to remember, but he didn't pay attention to that, “I... I don't know, I'm not crazy enough to analyse her tone!”

Tony raised an eyebrow, “Says the one who counted how many times the girl talked to him...”

Peter tried not to smile, but he was doing a terrible job at it, “Touché.”

“Look, perhaps it's hard to imagine for your stupid brain, but this girl just wants you.”

Peter's eyes widened, “What do you mean ''she wants me''?!”

Tony grumbled, “Come on, Do I really have to explain this?” As Peter blinked, the playboy sighed, taking this reaction as a yes.

He forced a ridiculous grin all over his face, and he explained slowly, as if he was speaking to a dumb child, “You know, when two people like each other a lot, they want more than just ''give a kiss on the cheek''. They want their lips to brush, and kiss-kiss.” Tony blew Peter multiple kisses, while the kid was staring at him, with an open mouth.

Tony repressed a chuckle, and he continued, “And as a bonus, they can put their tongue-”

Peter covered his ears, but he still heard Tony's laugh, “Oh, gross!”

Iron-Man raised a finger, “OK, my advice : Accept her invitation, and during your little rendezvous, watch if she painted her nails.”

Peter started to laugh, “Really?”

However, Tony's face was deadly serious when he nodded with confidence, “And if she did, then she wants you, and with the tongue.” He winked as Peter started to blush and grimace in disgust. 

There was a comfortable silence, in the course of which the two superheroes ate their chips, watching the people who were passing. However, Peter noticed that Tony was pulling out his phone rather often, checking God knows what on his screen.

When he did it for the fourth time, the teenager grinned and pointed at the phone in Tony's hand with his chin, “Are you waiting for a romantic call?”

Tony didn't even take his eyes off the screen when he answered, “Not a romantic one.” Then, what he saw was probably not what he wanted, because Tony sighed, and put it back in his pocket with a tiny grimace.

Peter raised his eyebrows, and crossed his arms against his chest, immediately interested, “Really? What are you waiting for, then?”

Tony glanced at the kid, “You know, maybe you know him : A cocky and insufferable wizard who is less handsome than me and who has a terrible name?”

Peter couldn't suppress the surprise from his tone when he guessed, “Stephen?”

Tony smirked proudly, and he threw one fist in the air, “Ah, you think I'm sexier than him! I knew it!”

Spider-Man rolled his eyes, but he didn't comment on that. Slowly but surely, he grinned from ear to ear, and he purred maliciously, “So, you want Stephen to call you? That's cute.”

Tony seemed both offended and horrified when he glared at him, “Shut up, kid! It's for business.”

Peter had to bite strongly his lower lip not to smile too much, “Right, business.”

He wriggled his eyebrows, and he burst out laughing when the playboy narrowed his eyes at him and pointed at him with a stern finger, “You do this again, and you go without dessert.”

Actually, this threat was not stupid, considering the fact that it was Tony who was paying their diner, but Peter focused on it longer than necessary. 

Indeed, this sweet threat was sounding like a parent thing. So, Tony himself sounded like a... father, and it didn't bother Peter at all, on the contrary. 

Peter opened his mouth, but he closed it quickly. His body brutally tensed from head to toe, blood pounding through his temples. He didn't even realise that he dropped his pack of chips on the ground.

He felt the familiar sensation of danger and urgency, as he shivered violently. 

His Spidey-Senses.

“Kid? What's going on?”

Peter didn't even hear Tony's worried voice. What he did hear, however, was the terrified scream of a young woman, followed by a loud and bestial roar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for this end ( again ).
> 
> The next chapter, the super family will have to fight together, and the real angst will happen...
> 
> Thanks a lot for reading!:)
> 
> WIX2


	18. Emergency : Part III

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING : City attack, action fight and injury. 
> 
> WIX2

In a flash, the street was ravaged.

The loud roars of the creature were covering the people's screams of panic and their sobs. As they were running away, they were sometimes knocking men and women over without even a glance, because actually, people were only caring about their survival, and their families'. 

That's why some of them were taking their children firmly in their arms while others were dragging the slowest old men towards a safe place with them.

They were looking for a place where they wouldn't be crushed by sighs or hit by pieces of shop widows, because of the monster's big and strong tentacles. 

Unfortunately, some of them were not fast enough : On the pavements, there were collapsed men and women, knocked out or wounded, their families by their sides who were trying to get them back on their feet. 

In the middle of this chaos, it took half a second for Tony and Peter to react. 

Iron-Man stood up, and he asked surprisingly calmly, “Kid... By chance, you wouldn't have homework to do right now, would you?”

Peter gave him a dirty look, perfectly knowing Tony was trying to get him to safety, “And letting you fight this giant squid alone while I twiddle my thumbs? No way.”

“You don't twiddle your thumbs when you do your homework, kid!”

Peter rolled his eyes. He didn't have the time to put his suit on, so he retrieved his amateur mask from his jacket, and put it quickly on his head, ignoring Tony's concerned gaze, “I'm not leaving you, Tony : I fight.”

His tone was so firm that Tony gave up unwillingly : He sighed, grimaced as if he just ate a sharp lemon, but he ended up nodding, “OK, fine : I attack, you evacuate the street.”

“Hey, no, I disag-” Peter didn't have the time to end his protest, because Tony tapped twice on his bright reactor, and his golden and red suit deployed, covering every inch of his body in an instant.

“Fast, kid. These people won't be saved by the power of the Holy Spirit!” His voice rang, and then he flew towards the monster at full speed.

An huge tentacle was going to crush a woman, but Iron-Man acted quickly : He fired on it, and the impact of his fires deflected it, and set it on fire. Immediately, Spider-Man webbed the woman's back to take her away quickly. 

The monster roared, and Tony made appear two sharp daggers from his armoured wrists, and he tried to cut the tentacle off with them. 

However, the monster's skin was strong and resisted the attack. 

Cursing, Tony avoided the few tentacles which tried to hit him, but the more he was firing on the tentacles, the more he understood they were too resistant. 

So, he tried something else. 

He flew towards the creature's head, and when he was just above it, he aimed at its eyes with two cannons which deployed from the back on his suit. 

The first one sent out a blinding smoke towards its eyes. The creature, totally panicked, opened his mouth to roar, just as Tony expected.

The second cannon of Tony's suit threw three grenades at its head. Two of them exploded before its eyes, while the last one managed to enter its big mouth and go off inside. 

The monster roared in pain and was disorientated for a time, but to Tony's surprise, it was still standing and the grenades didn't do as much damage as Tony was hoping : The monster only lost a few eyes and its teeth were bloody, but if we were ignoring this disgusting sight, there was nothing else.

Before the genius could think of another attack, a strong tentacle wrapped around him, and with an limitless violence, it threw him away. 

Iron-Man hit the ground painfully hard. Despite the solidity of his armour, he hissed in pain through clenched teeth, feeling his knee protest at the impact, as well as his right temple. 

Tony heard the robotic voice of Friday tell him something, probably making the list of all his new injuries, but his ears couldn't hear it. 

From the corner of his eye, he saw the monster's tentacle charging at him, and Tony, too groggy to react, couldn't move quickly enough.

So, he just closed his eyes.

///

“Got you ! Got you !” Peter webbed as fast as he could the civilians who were trying to run away from the beast. 

At first, he evacuated the road and the pavements, putting the terrified people out of reach two streets over, where the police and the emergency services were arriving. 

Then, he moved the injured people with great care and more slowly, trying not to worsen their wounds during the transportation towards the emergency services. 

He lost count how many time he got there and back, and how many times he said to the police almost joyfully every time he was coming with new people with him, “Hey, I'm back... Again.” or “Hello guys, do you remember me? I hope so.”, or his favourite, “I'm coming back, don't move!”

Peter couldn't get enough of their faces, as well : Clearly hesitating, as if they didn't know if they had to shout him or on the contrary, letting him bring injured people. 

However, they understood Spider-Man was not a threat, so they never attacked him. They took care of the injured people, as the army headed for the place where the monster was, armed to the teeth. 

Taking a deep breath and satisfied by his rescues, Peter decided to join the monster and Tony who was fighting it, hoping the adult was OK. 

///

Tony waited for the mortal strike, but it never happened. 

Because two amber circles were thrown at full speed towards the tentacle which was going to crush Tony, and this time, they managed to cut it off.

Just after, Tony's blurred vision saw a tall man jumping just in front of him and he calmly stretched out his arms in front of him. 

Suddenly, Tony and his saviour were surrounded by an amber shield, protecting them from the furious new strikes of the tentacles. 

It took a moment for Tony to see who was the foolish man who rushed in front of him and created this solid magic shield around both of them, but thanks to the read Cloak undulating at his saviour's back and his own vision becoming little by little clearer, he realised it was Stephen.

Now both of them protected by the shield, Strange rushed towards Tony, standing over him as he put an hand on his shoulder, “Tony, are you OK?!”

Tony couldn't describe the relief he felt at the sight of the sorcerer. 

He could almost hug him. 

However, his pride prevented him from doing so, and while he was getting up with difficulty with the help of Stephen, he just snarled, “God, what took you so long, Stephanie? You stopped at a Starbucks on the way?”

Stephen took his time to look at him from head to toe to check if Tony was injured under his armour, “Yeah, I was dying for a coffee, sorry...”

Tony smiled a little at Strange's sarcasm, despite the tentacles of the creature which were trying to make the shield give up by hitting it constantly, but the violent impacts didn't weakened the shield in the least. 

Tony opened his helmet and pretended to glare, “A mundane coffee is more important than your Awesome Facial Hair Bro's safety?”

Stephen closed briefly his eyes, “I hate you.”

“Then, why did you sav-”

Stephen interrupted him dryly, sending worried glances at the monster still focused on them, “Where's the kid? Is he OK?” 

Actually, he sounded so afraid that Tony reassured him immediately, “Yes, he's fine, he's evacuating the city.”

Stephen nodded with relief, and then he asked again more firmly, by dragging out each syllable, “Are you OK?”

“Me? Peachy, don't worry, Merlin.”

“Boss-” Friday started to intervene, but Tony interrupted it, “Shut up, baby girl, you're not helping.” 

Stephen frowned with discontent, and he pointed sternly at him, “I'll examine you later.”

“I love this ''bossy doctor'' attitude.” Tony wriggled his eyebrows. 

Stephen blushed, which amused Tony even more, but the sorcerer cleared loudly his throat and clapped his hands, “Anyway, Tony, it's not that I don't like our deep conversation, but a monster is ravaging the city right now and the other sorcerers will be there, soon.”

Tony shrugged and glared at the monster, “As long as it's on us, it doesn't hurt other people.”

Stephen narrowed his eyes, trying to put venom in his voice when he replied coldly, “Yes, but I don't want to stay forever trapped in this shield with you.”

However, Stephen's cutting remarks could never offend Tony, and the latter teased with a smirk, “And why that? You know, some people could kill just to spend time with me in private, face to face, eye-ball to eye-ball... ”

He blinked in rapid succession with his best Bambi eyes, and Stephen tried to ignore him, but his jaw still clenched, proving that he was not as unshakeable as he would have liked to show, “Listen, I'm going to dissolve the shield, and we'll have to-”

“Kill the monster? Original.”

Stephen gave him a dirty look, “No, we must immobilize it.”

Tony raised his eyebrows, “For?”

Stephen lost his patience and he groaned harshly, “Just do it!” Then, as Tony just raised his hands to appease him, he glanced at him apologetically, and softened a little, “Trust us, Tony.”

Tony let out a mocking laugh, “What, trust the sorcerers? Weren't you supposed to make this thing disappear, by the way before it ravages a street?” He shook his head and crossed his arms, “Sorry, but it doesn't inspire confidence.”

Tony thought anxiously Stephen would really get angry this time, but his blue gaze was gentle when he pleaded with a sigh, “Then, trust me.”

There was a short silence between them, and Tony nodded. However, when Stephen was satisfied, he feared the worst when he saw a teasing smirk crossing the playboy's face and the latter purred, “Trust who ?”

The sorcerer groaned in annoyance and he replied coldly with an unbreakable determination, “I won't say it.”

Tony laughed, “C'mon, Stephanie, you can do it : Trust your Awe... ? OK, I help : The first word's starting with an A, the second word with a F...”

“Now!” Stephen dissolved his shield, and while Cloak was pulling him away from the tentacle's new strike, he threw a portal towards Iron-Man, and the latter landed just behind the monster. 

They could start.

Tony fired as much restraints as his armour could produce on the tentacles, pinning them on the ground, whereas Stephen was using magic amber ropes to wrap them around the tentacles and fix them firmly on the ground as well. 

The monster was struggling wildly, but Tony and Stephen stood firm. Then, Peter joined them, flying thanks to his webs and he waved at Stephen in the air, “Hey, Grumpy!”

He must have understood the two adults were trying to immobilize the monster, because the teenager started to web the last tentacles still free. 

Then, he wrapped his web around the creature's body, and he flung himself to the floor, pulling on it to make the monster lose its balance, “Is that not your ''weird and sticky monster'' you had to banish, Grumpy?”

Stephen glared at him, while he was putting the last tentacle on the ground with his magic ropes, “It's not the moment to highlight my failure, stupid kid!”

Stephen heard the kid's smile in his voice when the latter answered, “That was just a question...” Of course, Tony had to intervene, “Don't worry, kid. Merlin is just too touchy.”

Stephen heard Peter laugh briefly, and he rolled his eyes. However, the trio stayed most of the time concentrated in order to resist the monster's struggles against its restraints. 

Just when the police was arriving and aiming their guns at the monster, the other sorcerers arrived at the same time, and Stephen released the breath he was holding. 

He recognized Dagan and Yanna among them, and the first one turned towards the police members, and he threw an enormous portal at them, making them go away. 

They needed to be alone to do the banishment spell. 

The police could have done nothing, anyway.

The masters of the mystic arts placed themselves in a circle around the monster, but Dagan and Yanna let a little space between them. 

A little space Stephen had to complete to start the banishment spell. 

Dagan made a circular movement with his arms, and a line of amber powder spread around the monster, delimiting the limits of the banishment spell and trapping the monster inside, but the sorcerer let a small breach to allow the three superheroes to get out before they could start. 

Strange nodded at Dagan with relief, and he yelled at his friends, “We need to let the monster there and get out quickly, now!”

Peter and Tony nodded without asking question, and after being sure their restraints were staying in place, they joined Stephen.

However, everything was happening too well, and everything happened too fast. 

When the trio started to head for the breach created by Dagan, a magnetic restraint holding a tentacle back was ripped in half by the tentacle's struggles. 

Stephen was the first to be out, and he placed himself with the other sorcerers, next to Dagan and Yanna, already adding his magic to the common spell.

Tony was about to get out, followed closely by Peter.

But the kid, by his Spidey-Senses, was the first one who saw the huge tentacle now free charging at Tony. 

He understood the armour wouldn't be able to resist the attack, and the tentacle was so fast that its pointed end would literally impale the billionaire. 

Peter's web was not solid enough to hold the tentacle back either. 

Peter didn't even think, he just shouted, “Dad!”

He ran towards Tony, and he used all his strength to push him away from the line of the fast and destructive tentacle.

And by doing so, Peter took Tony's place.

The second Tony landed on the ground, Peter felt the tentacle violently spear his body. 

He felt a sudden unbearable pain in the middle of his back, then inside his chest and stomach just where the tentacle penetrated him easily as if he was just a fragile doll. 

His body arched, and he just had the time to let out a torn scream.  
.  
And then everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry.
> 
> Really, I am, and the angst is not over... God, I'm cruel. Please, I'm just a stupid writer, don't kill me or insult me !:)
> 
> Promise, the next chapter is coming soon!
> 
> WIX2


	19. Emergency : Part IV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! :)
> 
> So, I'm sorry again : This chapter is the most depressing one I had to write, there is still ansgt, there are tears ( a lot of tears ) it's really dark, and there is another cliffhanger... 
> 
> I'm sorry, sorry, sorry! At first, I wanted to write a longer chapter so that I wouldn't have to stop at that horrible moment, but I'm in my exams period so you would have had to wait a lot more for another chapter if I was not stopping there, so another bad ending... 
> 
> I promise, after this, I'll write fluff, fluff, and... fluff! No angst for a long long time!:)
> 
> WARNING : Description of an injury, blood, tears...
> 
> WIX2

Twice, Peter felt like his body has been literally cut into two pieces. The first time happened when the tentacle pierced him, and the second time when it removed itself at one go from his body. 

Peter had no longer any control over his muscles, so he collapsed on the ground a few meters away from the monster, outside the limits of the banishment spell, without even trying to catch hold of something to adsorb the fall.

The noise of his body hitting brutally the ground was louder than the horrible and torn “NO!” Peter vaguely heard. He couldn't guess if the person who screamed was Stephen or Tony.

Now lying on his back, Peter closed his eyes, but it didn't prevent his tears of panic and pain from flowing on his cheeks. He couldn't see, he couldn't breathe, he couldn't even feel his own blood flowing freely from the gaping hole of his chest. 

What he could feel, though, was his body trying to regenerate itself and the urging and burning signals sent constantly by his Spidey Senses. 

However, his mind was lucid. Peter knew it was not enough, his injury was too serious.

He was going to die.

A cold panic squeezed painfully his still beating heart, and he let out a broken sob which almost choked him.

He was going to die.

Suddenly, he felt his amateur mask being removed from his head, and then two shaking arms wrapped themselves protectively around his shoulders, warming up his frozen body. 

This physical contact was simple, but it allowed Peter to calm down a little, because he wasn't alone any more.

“Peter! Look at me, stay with me, kid, please!” The panicked voice of Tony forced Peter to open his eyes in an intensive effort. 

Tony's face was above him, and he was wearing his normal clothes now. His lips were quivering and there were tear tracks on his cheeks. 

It took a moment for Peter to understand Tony was sobbing. 

He had never seen Tony cry.

Peter felt Tony's shaking hand grabbing his own and squeezing it so strongly that it almost hurt, “Why did you do that, you moron? Why?” 

Of course, Tony wasn't expecting an answer.

“T-T-To...ny-” Peter tried to say, but he ended up coughing. 

“Shut up, don't talk, save your strength.” Tony interrupted him, trying to sound firm and confident, but he was actually more pleading than ordering, “You're gonna be OK, kid, you're gonna be OK.”

That didn't reassure Peter at all. Tony's tone was so desperate that it was clear the adult was trying to convince himself more than the kid in his arms. 

And Peter felt it was his time. 

Of course, Peter didn't want to die : He was too young, this situation was unfair, and on top of everything, he was terrified, that's why he couldn't be OK with it.

What he could do, though, was just accept it, because Tony was safe.

And that was good. However, Peter needed to make sure of something before he dies, “To-n-n-ny?”

“I'm here, kid. I'm right here.”

The kid channelled the last of his energy to whisper brokenly with a rough and ruined voice, “Coul-d-d... you watch over... Aunt May and... Stephen for me? They'll need y-y-you.”

Tony opened his mouth with anger, probably to yell at him that he wasn't going to die, that the kid would watch over them himself, but something stopped him.

There was something in Peter's eyes, something terrible, but wise at the same time : Acceptance. The kid knew perfectly what was going to happen : He could be clumsy and easily impressed, but he was anything but dumb.

He knew he couldn't survive this.

And Tony brutally understood it as well : The kid was dying, the ambulance was too far away, and by the time it will arrive, it will be too late. In any case, the kid's injury was too serious to be healed. 

When Tony realised it, he felt like an hand violently pierced his chest to tear off his heart. His throat was so tight that he couldn't even breathe, but he still managed to let out a weak promise with a nod, “I will, kid.”

With relief, Peter smiled weakly.

“I-I-I'm sorry.” The child exhaled, but didn't draw another breath.

Because the kid was dead.

The kid Tony took under his wing was dead.

The kid Tony swore to protect was dead.

The kid Tony was considering as his own son was dead.

For him.

No, because of him.

“No, please...” Tony whispered out through a violent sob.

He would have wanted to scream until his throat would bleed and burn, he would have wanted to punch something, like the ground, until his fingers would break.

However, he didn't have the strength to do so. 

That's why he just buried his face into the kid's shoulder, tears running down his cheeks as he finally allowed himself to burst into tears, holding the kid's corpse tight against him. 

///

The Protector inside Stephen's watch was heating so strongly that the skin of his wrist burned.

Strange clenched his teeth. The kid was badly hurt, but the worst was that he didn't know how serious it was. 

Indeed, he saw Peter being literally impaled by the creature's tentacle, but then, the latter landed out of his sight : The only thing Stephen knew for sure was that the kid was seriously wounded, and that Tony was probably by his side. 

The sorcerer was on the verge of abandoning the banishment spell, but he couldn't right now and it was killing him : If he was moving, if he was removing his magic added to the banishment spell, everything would fall apart, and the monster would be free. 

All the sorcerers' efforts would be in vain, that's why he stayed where he was. 

Forcing himself to stay where he was and forcing his panicked mind to stay focused on the banishment spell were the most difficult things he had to do, in his entire life.

At first, the sorcerers lowered their bodies, Stephen included. Every sorcerer drew in the air a purple symbol in front of them while they were muttering incantations at the same time to merge their energy. 

Little by little, each of their symbol became red and grew in size, until they were big enough to merge. As they were linked, the symbol started to vibrate and they formed a red bubble which slowly surrounded the monster. 

The creature started to slam its tentacles against the magic shield with panicked roars, but it was too strong.

The sorcerers clenched their teeth, their faces sweating, and they were struggling to stand firm. More than one moaned, doubled over, and almost collapsed, but they all resisted, knowing they had no room for error.

However, suddenly, Stephen silently, discretely, started to cry.

Because his Protector suddenly stopped burning and its magic disappeared. Deep down, Stephen knew what that meant, even if his brain had difficulties to admit it : Peter was dead.

Yanna felt Strange's magic becoming unsteady, on the verge of being out of control, and she understood why : Only a violent emotional shock could lead someone to lose the control of his magic at this point.

Especially someone like Stephen, who was known for being calm and collected.

The problem was that his unsteady magic was threatening the entire banishment spell.

“Come on, Stephen. Control, hold on, please.” Her gentle, but a little urgent, voice resounded inside Stephen's head by telepathy over and over, and Cloak kept its Chosen standing when Strange weakened and nearly collapsed.

However, the latter kept going, even if his body was shaking and tears were clouding his vision, because he was furious. He wanted this damn monster to get out of his world and never come back, to be out of his sight.

To finish, all the sorcerers brutally shoved their hands outward and the red bubble started to vibrate and glow brightly, causing a blinding and sudden flash.

In the blink of an eye, the monster was gone.

They did it. 

The majority of the sorcerers collapsed on the ground because of exhaustion while heaving a loud sigh of relief, but Stephen didn't even give a glance at them or didn't even give himself the time to recover or even to savour their victory.

With his shaking legs, he rushed towards Tony and Peter. 

///

When Stephen reached his friends, they were already surrounded by emergency doctors, who were trying to move Tony away, in order to deal with Peter's body, but Iron-Man was struggling, he didn't want to let go of the kid's corpse. 

Stephen could hear Tony's broken sobs while he was protesting wildly, refusing stubbornly to abandon the kid, despite the doctors' efforts to convince him to let go. The sorcerer felt his heart being crushed mercilessly and he choked back a sob.

Stephen suddenly knew what he had to do. Not only for the kid, but also for Tony. 

Without actually realising it, these two became really important, perhaps his dearest friends, with Wong. Stephen was indeed cold and wasn't caring about a lot of people, but he would do anything for the people close to him.

Stephen didn't even realise he was running towards them, until he forced his way through the doctors. Then, he wrapped his right arm around Tony's waist and he pulled him back, ignoring Tony's screams of protest and insults. 

Actually, the playboy was so struggling that he almost managed to get free from Stephen's grasp, but the sorcerer reacted quickly. He pressed his hand against the side of Tony's neck, and a green light went from his palm and it connected with the playboy's skin.

Despite the fact that Tony gasped in surprise, it wasn't a painful or dangerous spell at all, just one which weakened Tony's body little by little until it paralysed him just for a short moment. 

But still, it was unpleasant, just like being drugged. 

Tony felt his body becoming weak, to such an extent that he couldn't move his limbs any more. 

He fell motionless in Stephen's arms, as if his limbs were suddenly made of cotton.

“Asshole... ” Tony managed to whisper angrily through clenched teeth, Stephen's betrayal hurting him more than he would have thought, “You fucking bastard wizard with your fucking magic...”

It was official, now : Tony hated magic.

“I know.” Stephen replied softly into his ear, clenching his jaw as guilt squeezed his chest. He continued to pull Tony away, and then, he gently put him down on the ground, in a corner.

“It'll be all over soon, I promise.” Tony had never heard Stephen's voice being that gentle, “Everything's gonna be fine, Tony, for both of you.” 

Before Tony could understand or even frown, Strange gently put his hand on his forehead, and he compelled him to fall asleep with an apologetic gaze.

The sorcerer just moved dryly his shoulders and Cloak automatically wrapped itself around Tony's motionless body, and he ordered the relic firmly, “Watch over him.”

Then, he allowed himself five seconds to look at Tony who was sleeping, disgusted by himself and his betrayal, but he knew deep down it was the only way to save them both.

That's why he smiled a little as he wiped dryly his soaking cheeks with his steeves. 

Then, he rushed towards the kid, and he threw a portal at the doctors around Peter's corpse, putting them away. He fell on his knees just next to Peter's corpse, and he forced himself not to look at him, otherwise he would totally fall apart. 

His goal was the only thing which was giving him the energy to continue.

He took a deep breath, and he closed his eyes, creating a solid shield which surrounded the kid's corpse and himself, protecting them from eventual sorcerers' intervention to prevent him from commiting the worst crime of the mystic arts : Bringing a person back to life.

Actually, the sorcerers were all exhausted and crumbled on the ground, so Stephen knew they won't be a problem.

Stephen placed his shaking hands on Peter's chest, calling on every scrap of his magic that was left in his body. 

At first, he needed to heal the kid's injury : He drew as much dimensional energies as he could within him, and he guided his healing magic towards the gaping hole. 

Slowly, oh so slowly, he felt Peter's tissues knit, his blood clot and his bones snap back into place. The gaping hole closed little by little, until Peter's chest was normal, as if nothing happened. 

Just when Stephen finished healing the injury, he felt the first harmful consequences of his magic took to the extreme. Indeed, he had never in his life pushed himself and his magic to his point.

He was exhausted, his arms were shaking and prickling, but the worst was when his veins where his magic was flowing started to burn. 

Lucky that he was on his knees, otherwise he would have collapsed.

However, he couldn't stop now or take a break. Now, he needed to bring back to life all the kid's organs, starting with his brain, his lungs, his heart, then the rest, and to finish, he had to take care of each of his muscles and veins. 

Unfortunately, he had nothing left to draw dimensional energies, so he did the worst decision possible, actually a suicidal one : He used his own life force, his own personal energy already weakened by the banishment spell, to bring the kid back to life. 

Contrary to Aunt May's case when he just gave the half, this time, he gave all of it, and his personal energy spread everywhere within Peter's body, inside his organs, bones, veins, blood, until he shared and gave his entire life force, which was enough to Peter's body to relive, and live by himself. 

When Stephen was certain it was enough, he stopped.

Then, spots danced before his eyes and his chest hurt a lot, catching his breathing in his throat. He just had the time to press by reflexes one of his hands against his painful chest, right at the emplacement of his heart, with a silent cry of pain. 

And he collapsed.

At the same moment, Peter's eyes burst open, and he inhaled loudly with a start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know... I know, you can be angry. :)
> 
> WIX2


	20. Emergency : Part V

When Tony opened his eyes, he was still lying on the ground, and this fact proved him he didn't sleep for long, maybe just a couple of minutes. 

He was astonished above all to see that he could move his body again normally and all his strength was restored. 

He just blinked, and then, he remembered suddenly everything that happened before. It was the equivalent of a strong and merciless slap : Peter's death, Stephen's spell on him, the latter's promise, and then, the blackout. 

Ah yes, this magical bastard turned his body into cotton and compelled him to sleep... He clenched his teeth furiously as he tried to stand up, but something strong and warm settled on him was preventing him from doing so, keeping him pinned on the ground.

It was Cloak, wrapped firmly around his body.

“Come on!” Tony groaned. He was really going to kill Stephen, this time, “Hey, living red carpet, get off!”

Contrary to all expectation, the relic obeyed immediately, allowing Tony to stand up. Perhaps it was because of Tony's rude tone, but the latter had doubt about it.

Then, Cloak quickly settled by itself onto Tony's shoulders protectively, bringing a comforting warmth he couldn't reject. However, Tony didn't have the time to be surprised about it because the red relic started to get agitated on his back, and it was showing the right with its extremity.

When Tony turned his head towards what was shown, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped : Stephen, his face tense, was on his knees near Peter's body, his hands pressed against the kid's chest which was not injured any more, and thin amber threads were spreading within the translucent kid's body.

And Tony recognized them : It was the same weird amber threads which ran through Aunt May when Stephen healed her gunshot wound at the hospital, expect that this time, Peter's body was entirely full of these thin threads.

Suddenly, Stephen stopped. 

Tony was about to yell at him or punch him, he still hadn't chosen yet. However, when he saw Stephen double over and press his hand against his chest with his mouth open in a silent cry of pain, Tony's anger towards the sorcerer melted like snow in the sun, giving place to worry.

And then, Stephen collapsed like a rag dog, and Tony couldn't help but yell, “Stephen!” 

He rushed towards the sorcerer as fast as his legs could, and he fell brutally on his knees just next to him. The playboy gently turned him over so that Stephen was lying on his back. 

Stephen's eyes were closed, and he was deadly pale. 

“Stephen, can you hear me?!” Tony asked loudly, trying to suppress the panic in his voice as he cupped the sorcerer's face and shook his head a little, but Stephen didn't even budge, “Come on, you piece of shit, don't play Sleeping Beauty now, wake up!”

Stephen wasn't reacting at all. Tony checked anxiously if the sorcerer beneath him was still breathing, by placing two fingers just in front of his nostrils.

Stephen wasn't breathing. 

Tony felt his heart pound in panic. As he felt new tears starting to burn his eyes, he spat, “No... No, no, no! Don't do this to me, you asshole!”

He tried to ask calmly, nervously at best, but he ended up yelling hysterically, “Friday?! Analysis, now!”

It took one second for the AI to answer, “No heartbeat detected, Boss : Heart attack.”

Tony's eyes widened and he cursed under his breath. 

This idiot stopped his own heart. 

“No...” Tony shook his head so violently that his neck almost broke, “No, no, no! Don't you dare die!”

He didn't notice Cloak left his shoulders and flew away. He couldn't concern himself with that : Stephen's life was at stake, he couldn't lose him too. 

Without thinking, Tony stripped Stephen's motionless chest to have access to it, and he placed his joined hands on the middle of Strange's sternum, his both arms outstretched.

“I swear, if you die, I'm bringing you back just so that I can kick your ass and kill you myself!” Then, he started the heart massage energetically, as fast as he could : After thirty compressions, he pinched Stephen's nose with one hand, raised his chin with the other, and he applied his own mouth to Stephen's, giving him mouth-to-mouth. 

And he started again : Thirty compressions, two insufflations. 

Again and again and again. 

It was the most exhausting thing Tony ever did : He was short of breath, his arms were painful, and even his hands were starting to burn : He was almost certain he would have some blisters, later. 

However, he clenched his teeth and he persisted. He didn't stop, even when he heard a horrible CRACK after a violent compression, meaning a rib broke. 

He grimaced, feeling guilty.

“Continue, Stark.”

Tony jumped, too focused on his task to notice that Wong was suddenly on his knees by his side. He obeyed with a nod, even if Wong wasn't looking at him.

The librarian glanced at his surroundings, maybe to check if nobody was looking at them. Then, slowly, Wong pressed his index against Stephen's right wrist and he closed his eyes. 

With his finger, he drew a white symbol Tony had never seen on Stephen's skin, and Wong waited, fear mixed with hope written all over his concerned face. 

Suddenly, the white symbol started to shine and it produced a quick white flash. Wong smiled with victory. Then, he ordered coldly and calmly, “Stop.”

Tony gave him a dirty look, and he refused fiercely as he continued the heart massage, “No way, I'm not gonna aband-” Wong frowned darkly as he firmly grabbed Tony's arms, and forced them to drop along his body, “Just stop.”

His tone was so firm and certain that Tony trusted him immediately, and he obeyed. Then, Friday's voice intervened gently into his ear, “Heartbeat detected, Boss.”

Tony released the breath he didn't know he was holding. He didn't even know how this miracle even happened, but he didn't care in the least. 

Stephen was alive, that was the most important.

Iron-Man removed his jacket, and he gently covered Stephen's body with it. Then, he took Stephen's hand in his own and squeezed it gently, “You really think I was going to let you die?” He managed to smile at the unconscious Stephen, and he brushed a few locks of hair off the sorcerer's forehead, “I'm not out of nicknames for you, yet.”

Wong stared at him curiously with raised eyebrows, and he cleared loudly his throat, “Stark?” 

Tony didn't even glance at him, “Yeah?”

“I gave him a little of my personal energy : That's the official story, understood?”

Tony frowned, “What did you do?”

Wong shrugged, “Me? I didn't do a single thing...” Then, he asked seriously as a test, narrowing his eyes, “What's the official version?”

“You gave him a little of your personal energy.” 

Wong nodded coldly. He glanced behind Tony, and he smirked a little, “There's a surprise behind you, Stark. Go, I'm watching over the idiot.”

Tony frowned, totally confused, as he turned around. 

His jaw dropped a second time.

Peter was... alive. Lying on the ground, Cloak was wrapped around him protectively, his collar stroking his cheeks and wiping his tears. 

The kid seemed totally lost.

///

The second Peter woke up and inhaled, it was the most painful breath he even drew. It burned his dry throat and his lungs, making him cough violently. He also pressed his hand against his chest where his injury was supposed to be, but it was totally gone. 

No wound.

No blood.

He felt horribly dizzy, his vision was blurred, and his ears were popping. He couldn't understand anything : How could he be alive? What the hell was happening?

With a moan, he managed to raise his head a little in order to watch his surroundings, but at that moment, Cloak flew towards him and it wrapped itself firmly around him, bringing a comforting and necessary warmth. 

At the same time, it forced him not to move, letting him come to his senses. 

“C-Cloakie?” 

The relic's collar answered by stroking his cheek, and suddenly, something caught Peter's gaze, and what he saw froze him : Tony was on his knees near Stephen's body, doing C.P.R fiercely. 

Stephen...

Stephen was dying.

Something broke inside him.

Peter tried to stand up, but he couldn't move at all, because of Cloak. He struggled a little, but the relic was much stronger than him, and his awful dizziness was not helping at all. 

“Please, Cloakie...” He pleaded, but his voice was hoarse. 

He started to cry, fear squeezing his chest, as he stayed pinned by the relic. Actually, he didn't even know if he could put one foot in front of the other, if he was getting up. His body was limp, and his members were shaking. 

Cloak was only protecting him, actually. That's why he just watched Tony who was, by the force of desperation, trying to keep Stephen alive with a heart massage. 

Peter was begging in his mind that Stephen would survive. 

However, he actually lost hope at a moment, because the heart massage was lasting, and no help was arriving. It was not the case with Tony, though. Despite the fact that he seemed clearly exhausted, breathless and in pain, he continued stubbornly, knowing Stephen's life was only depending on him.

Finally, Wong rushed towards them, and everything happened too fast for Peter to understand. Then, Wong told Tony something, and the latter turned towards him.

Their eyes met. 

Tony didn't believe he could run this fast. He lunged at the kid, and he hugged him tightly, a relieved sob breaking through his lips. 

He felt the kid slowly wrap his arms around him, and press his forehead on his shoulder.

“You really want me to have a heart attack, don't you ?” Tony whispered into the kid's ear, trying to sound angry, but relief and joy were softening his voice. 

Peter was too shocked to reply. He just stammered weakly, with a rough voice, “Stephen... Stephen-”

“He'll be fine.” Tony reassured him immediately, pressing a gentle kiss against the kid's temple. 

Suddenly, doctors arrived and Wong, who was watching over Stephen, raised his arm to get their attention. They rushed towards them, laid Stephen down on a stretcher, and put an oxygen mask on his mouth and noise, while Wong was talking to the doctors.

They were taking Stephen to the hospital.

Peter started to writhe a little in Tony's arms, “I... I wanna go to the hospital, I-I wanna know what happened, Tony-”

Tony firmed up his hug, “We'll go and I'll explain to you everything. But now, we're going to my Tower, and I'm gonna run as much scans as I can of you.”

He pulled back a little to look Peter in the eye, but he kept the kid firmly cradled in his arms as he continued to order sternly, “I don't care if these scans reveal you're as sound as a bell, you're still grounded : You'll stay in bed for a mouth minimum, you'll sleep, you'll eat fruits and vegetables, and you won't move at all, not even your little finger! No Spider-Man duty, no school : No-thing, except when you have to hold a fork and if you need to pee. Understood?”

Peter nodded weakly, and Tony pointed a stern finger at him, “I'll lecture you later. Now...” Without asking the kid's permission, Tony slipped his arm under the kid's knees, the other on his back, and he lifted him up, not without difficulty because of the intensive heart massage, “We're going to my Tower.”

Peter was in fact too shocked to protest, and his body was too limp to resist, so he just let himself being carried and leaded, feeling safe in Tony's arms.

///

When Stephen woke up, he couldn't even open his eyes at all, for a time : It was too exhausting. He was vaguely hearing the familiar regular bleep, meaning he was wired up to a heart monitor, and he was lying on a hospital bed.

God. He thought he was tired after he gave his personal energy to Aunt May, but it was nothing compared to now. He knew he was going to fall asleep in an instant, and the morphine was making him drowsy. However, even with it, it was painful to breathe. 

He immediately understood : He had broken ribs. 

Someone gave C.P.R to him, so he had a heart attack. Actually, he knew what he did to save Peter was fatal, but he didn't know it was his heart which would give up first. 

However, it wasn't explaining how he survived... Indeed, the heart massage kept him alive, but when his heart stopped, he had no life force within himself anymore, so his heart – and actually nothing inside his body – couldn't work by itself. 

So... How did he survive?

With a faint groan, he managed to open his eyes, and he watched his surroundings. Tony was sleeping, huddled up on his chair at his bedside, and Peter was sat on a chair, near Stephen as well, but he was awake. 

The second Stephen saw Peter, he forced out with difficulty, “Peter, how are you feeling?” 

The kid obviously heard him, even if Stephen was too tired to raise his voice above a whisper, but Peter didn't answer. 

He was even looking down.

It was the first time that Peter, a kid Stephen has always known chatty, wasn't talking at all. Stephen hated that tense and suffocating silence, so he ended up pleading faintly, “Please, say something, kid.”

Peter finally looked up, but Stephen would have preferred not to see these horrible sharp eyes. 

Then, Peter talked, “You stopped your own heart, in your dumb attempt to bring me back from the dead, two days ago : Yes, you slept for two days.” He announced nonchalantly and rather dryly, and a cold anger was clouding over his face. 

It was terrifying. 

Stephen wanted nothing more than hide himself under the covers, but he couldn't move at all, so he was forced to confront the kid's ruthless gaze.

He didn't know what to say, so Peter continued with a deadpan voice, “Luckily for you, Tony was there to give C.P.R to you, otherwise you would be dead, it would've been too late to save you.”

Stephen swallowed with difficulty, and glanced quickly at Tony who was still sleeping, before turning his attention back to the kid who carried on, “Then, Wong saved you and you were taken to the hospital.” 

He showed dryly with his chin Stephen's bandaged chest, “Two broken ribs.” 

“Peter-” Stephen tried to intervene but the kid interrupted him dryly, “I really thought you were dead.” 

Stephen felt a sharp pain in his chest, but it was not because of his broken ribs. Peter leant forwards, “I really thought it was the end for you. Actually, the first sight I had when I woke up, was Tony, trying to keep you alive.” He narrowed his eyes, “And you're not sorry, are you?”

His tone was brutal. Even if Strange knew perfectly what the kid wanted to hear, he couldn't lie to him, “No.” 

Stephen maintained the eye contact when he developed, “I'm not sorry for what I've done.” As he saw Peter's jaw clench, he clarified, looking down shamefully this time, “But I am sorry for what you had to live.”

“Great, that won't get me too far.” Dryly, Peter stood up, and if Stephen could move, he would have jumped. He approached the bed, and he bent down so that his face was just above Stephen's. 

It forced him to look at him in the eye. 

“You promised.” The kid whispered bitterly, “You promised you wouldn't put yourself in danger anymore to save me, and yet, you gave your entire life force : You killed yourself willingly, for me.” 

He laughed brokenly. It was a miserable sound, “I should be touched, I should even be grateful, because of course, I didn't want to die, and now I'm alive thanks to you... But you know what?” He spread his arms with a sad smile, “I can't.” 

Stephen moistened his lips, “Peter-”

Peter didn't let him finish, “I can't because I know the price.”

“I'm fine.” Stephen only wanted to reassure the teenager, but it was probably not the wisest thing to say, because Peter gave him a dirty look and was struggling not to yell at him. He just spat, “You didn't see yourself.”

Stephen swallowed, trying to suppress the painful lump in his throat, “I couldn't let you die.”

Peter didn't softened in the least. He ignored his intervention, and he simply asked, “Did you know?” 

Stephen understood, judging by Peter's tone, that it was the most important question, to the kid. The answer was what he desperately wanted to know. That's why he repeated the question, when Stephen didn't answer, “Did you know what would happen to you?”

Stephen could still not lie. This time, he answered more shyly, “Yes.”

Peter nodded without any surprise. He took a few steps back towards the exit, as if he was disgusted. He announced coldly while he spread his arms, “Then, we have nothing to talk about.”

“Peter, please...” Stephen reached out, and he managed by some miracle to grab Peter's wrist, but the teenager coldly pulled it out.

“Rest.” And with this last word, Peter left, closing the door behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I'm proud of myself, I updated rather quickly!:) 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! It's the end of the Emergency arc (phew!), no more ansgt !:) 
> 
> In the next chapter, we will see Tony and Stephen's conversation at the hospital, and we'll see as well the Council's reaction : They won't be pleased!:) 
> 
> How did Stephen survive? This question will have an answer later... :)
> 
> Thanks a lot for all your kind comments, kudos... You're the best !:)
> 
> WIX2


	21. Feeling Guilty

Stephen woke up twelve hours after his discussion with Peter. 

When he opened his eyes with a faint moan, his mind was clearer. He wished Peter was there by his side, with his habitual sweet smile, but his hope brutally fell apart, when he understood only Tony was there, sitting on the same chair as before. 

The latter was trying to look nonchalant, but he was biting his nails. When he noticed Stephen was awake, Tony's lips formed a warm smirk, “Good morning, Sleeping Beauty... Did you sleep well?” 

Before Stephen could answer, Tony added with a teasing voice, “It looks like so... You drooled on your pillow.”

Stephen rolled his eyes as his cheeks burned a little. When he answered, his throat was still hurting a little, but it was better than before, “I'm feeling better, Tony, thanks for asking.”

Tony raised his eyebrows, showing he didn't believe a word, “Really, Stephanie? You look like shit, right now.”

Indeed, Stephen's face was the definition of tiredness : He had dark circles under his eyes, and he was even paler than a ghost. True, Tony wasn't on top form either, but he was still better than Strange.

The sorcerer smirked, and he chose a better reply than a mere and vulgar ''Screw you'', “Because most of the time, I don't look like shit?”

Stephen just wanted Tony to blush or at least to feel uncomfortable. However, it was painful to admit it, but Tony was stronger than him at that game, because the latter grinned with amusement, “Let's say you're watchable, most of the time, Stephanie.”

Stephen couldn't help but smile a little, but his amused grin vanished violently when he saw Tony's hands, “Tony, your hands...”

They were full of blisters and the skin was irritated, almost bright red. Tony just glanced at them calmly without any concern, not caring about them in the least, “Oh, yeah... That's what happen when you do a heart massage for too long.” 

Stephen wasn't sharing his nonchalance. 

Without caring about his arm attached to an IV drip, Stephen reached out to take Tony's hands in his own to heal them, but Tony reacted faster. 

He grabbed firmly, but not violently, Stephen's wrists, and he held them pressed against the bed with an annoyed groan, “Don't, you moron lame. I didn't save your pretty ass so that you kill yourself once more.”

Stephen glared, but he didn't bother to struggle, knowing he was not strong enough. Actually, he would have lied if he said he wasn't appreciating the warm fingers of Tony around his wrists, “It's just a minor spell-”

Tony shook his head with a dark frown, “Still no, Stephanie. Save your strength, I had worse injuries than just a few blisters.” 

Tony waited, as he narrowed his eyes. Only when Stephen nodded, he released his wrists, and checked if the needle inside Stephen's arm covered by a piece of tape was correctly in.

There was a short silence between the two men, until Stephen cleared his throat and looked away shamefully, “I'm sorry, Tony.”

Tony just raised his eyebrows, “For being an idiot? Don't worry, I'm used to it.”

Stephen frowned with annoyance, and he replied rather harshly, “I'm not talking about that, Tony, and you know it.” 

As the billionaire didn't say anything and pursed his lips, the sorcerer sighed, “I shouldn't have done that, I used a spell on you without your consent, knowing you couldn't defend yourself or resist... It was disloyal, it was a betrayal.”

Tony shrugged, trying to act nonchalant, but his jaw clenched a little. It proved he wasn't as insensitive as he wanted to show.

“I'm used to it as well.” 

There was some bitterness in his tone, but it wasn't addressed to Stephen.

Stephen didn't like what he was hearing at all, “Well, you shouldn't be used to it. You deserve reliable friends.” 

He righted himself, ignoring Tony's curious and astonished look, as if the latter never envisaged that fact before, “Look, Tony, I'm sorry. I understand you can't forgive me, but-”

“Wow, slow down, Drama-Queen.” Tony interrupted him as he brought his chair closer until his face was just in front of Stephen's, “If I'm staying on that same fucking chair, watching you sleep and drool on your pillow since three days, it's that I'm not angry at you.” 

Stephen was too surprised to reply when he learnt Tony stayed at his bedside for that long, so the billionaire took the opportunity to pride himself as he raised his chin, “I know, I'm too good, no need to say it, my Awesome Facial Hair Bro.”

Stephen grimaced, “I still hate you.”

Tony wriggled his eyebrows, “Really, I forgive you.”

“Why?”

Tony smirked, “Because we're linked... By that.”

Tony slowly traced the contour of Stephen's goatee with his finger. Stephen laughed freely, ignoring his burning cheeks caused by this sudden touch.

“By a goatee?” He chuckled, amused by this ridiculous situation. 

Tony was pleased to hear Stephen laugh : It was a good sound, actually, like a consolation during bad times, and it was lighting up his face, making him even more attractive. 

“Exactly, Stephanie.” Tony winked, finally having his familiar sparkling eyes back for a short moment.

However, it was gone as soon as he became serious, “Seriously, I understand why you did it : You did what you had to do, I know I would do the same thing, if I were you... And the kid's alive, thanks to you. I think I'll be stupid to complain.”

When he spoke about Peter, Stephen lost his smile.

Tony rolled his eyes, “Oh no, don't do this ''I'm gonna kill myself'' face. The kid does not hate you.”

“Really?” Stephen was looking down as he was blinking away the sudden wetness of his eyes, “He hasn't come since we argued.”

Contrary to all expectation, Tony started to laugh, “Come on, you really think he doesn't come at all?” 

As Stephen just looked up, Tony carried on, “Yes, he's angry, but not enough to let you down. He comes every time he's sure you're sleeping, and he's staying at your bedside until you're going to wake up.” 

Stephen was still doubtful, “He's really angry.”

“No, he was just so terrified to lose you that his fear turned into anger.” Tony corrected him calmly, and he smiled softly at Stephen. 

It was the most reassuring thing Stephen ever saw.

“Give him time, Stephanie, it's going to be OK, you'll see.”

Neither of them talked for a while, and during that silent time, Stephen really looked at Tony with attention. 

“How are you feeling?” The doctor asked gently, staring at Tony intently.

“Me? Peachy.”

Stephen sighed, not believing a word, “Don't do that. You can pretend with others, but not with me.”

“I'm not pretending.” Tony contradicted him rather coldly, frowning.

Stephen didn't give up, “Yeah, you do, Tony. You always pretend, that's how you protect yourself : You hide what you're feeling, no matter what it is : Joy, love, worry, sadness... I understand, though.” 

As Tony threw him a doubtful look, the doctor added, “Truly, Tony, I do, because I do the same. You don't have to do that, when you're with me.” 

“I've got nothing to say.”

Luckily, Stephen was just as stubborn as him, “I'm a- I was a doctor, I know the signs : You're traumatized and you're feeling guilty.” 

Tony was staying silent, probably because he couldn't contradict him without lying, but Stephen hadn't finished yet. He knew that, to help a man like Tony, he had to be blunt, he had to evoke the problem directly. 

Stephen took a deep breath, “It was not your fault, Tony.”

Tony rudely raised his finger while he squeezed his eyes shut, “Don't.”

This brutal reaction proved it was the main problem, but for the first time, Stephen wasn't happy at all to be right, “Tony...”

The playboy glared, “I don't want to talk about it.”

It was dry and rather clear. 

Stephen made a pause, trying to find out the best way to continue the talk so that Tony wouldn't dig his heels in. 

In fact, he was not insistent to be cruel : Tony was feeling guilty because of the kid's death, it was evident, and he needed to talk. Then, Stephen found, “Do you think it's Peter's fault if I'm in this state?”

Tony blinked, surprised by this sudden and rather weird question, “No.”

Stephen calmly nodded, “And you're right. You know why?” 

He made a short pause, waiting for Tony to have a questioning gaze before continue, “Because it was my choice to save him, Tony; I knew the risks, but I still did it, because I believed my death was nothing compared to the kid's life. I thought Peter's life mattered more than mine, and he's not responsible for what I feel, right?”

Tony shook his head, but he was a little suspicious as he answered slowly, “No, of course not.”

Stephen nodded, “Then... What's the difference, with you?” 

His calm and gentle tone was suggesting there was no difference at all, but Tony still shook his head and scowled, “That's not the same thing.”

“It's exactly the same thing.” Stephen replied firmly with a frown, “You can't blame yourself because the kid loves you, Tony.”

Stephen expected anger, or even a sarcastic comment from Tony, but what really happened was just a weak and a pathetic plea, “Please, Stephen... Stop.”

Seeing Tony beg broke Stephen's heart, but he kept his face neutral: He needed to stay strong for Tony, who was on the verge of cracking up. 

And he needed to crack up.

“Tony, you're strong, but you can't take all of this by yourself and just shut down. You need to open up, you need to let it go.”

To finish, Stephen whispered gently, “C'mon, drop the act, Tony.” 

And finally, Tony did it, little by little. At first, he covered his eyes with his hands, and he hid his face. Stephen waited patiently, knowing it was a lot, for the billionaire. 

However, at a moment, Tony couldn't hide it anymore. He raised his head, and he was openly crying, “I should have moved away from the tentacle... I should have been faster, Stephen.”

Stephen didn't know what was the worst : Seeing Tony that broken, or hearing his voice quiver. It was so different from the nonchalant, malicious and confident Tony from earlier that Stephen was impressed by Tony's capacity to play a role, to hide his sufferings.

With bitterness, he knew it was because Tony had a lot of training... 

Stephen sighed gently, “Tony, the tentacle was too fast, nothing could have been faster, and you couldn't see it, you had your back turned... You couldn't do anything.”

Tony shook his head, while he was sobbing softly. He was wiping his tears, but his cheeks were getting wet again because others tears were flowing freely, so it was rather useless, “No... I'm the one who must protect him, Stephen. I failed him.”

As Tony sniffed and looked down, Stephen whispered, “I understand.”

The playboy sniggered brokenly, “Really? You already saw a person you swore to protect die because of you before your eyes?”

Tony lost his aggressive attitude when he made eye contact with Stephen, because the latter's face crumbled, pain shinning in his blue eyes. 

Strange cleared his throat, and he announced slowly after a brutal sigh, “I had a little brother, Victor, but I never really got on with him... With Donna, my little sister, however, I was very close.”

Tony frowned. He couldn't understand why Stephen was talking about his family right now, because it had nothing to do with the current subject. 

However, he decided to listen, because he didn't know anything about Stephen's past, and he was always curious when it was concerning Stephen. 

Stephen's jaw clenched, “When she turned 10, she started to have those headaches. They were painful and rather regular. One day, one of her attacks was so violent that we had to get her to the hospital.”

He shrugged, “Nobody knew what she had, or if it could be fatal : Her disease was unknown, so there was no treatment, at that time... At that moment, she was under my responsibility ; I promised myself that I will protect her, no matter what. This is why I wanted to be a neurosurgeon, actually : To find what her disease was, find a cure and save her, with others just like her.” 

Tony calmed down a bit, because he was attentive to Stephen's talk. His cheeks were still wet and there were still tears gathered in the corner of his eyes, but they weren't flowing anymore. 

The sorcerer continued, “However, when I was 19, I was with her on a brink of a lake, with some friends. She asked me if she could swim, and I agreed.” 

Stephen made a pause because his voice broke, “She dove, and... She didn't surface.”

Tony felt his heart ache, and he asked softly, “Did she drown herself?”

“That's what I thought, at the beginning... When I pulled her out the water, she was not breathing, she was already gone.” 

He shook his head, looking away as his eyes were starting to burn because of tears, “You can't imagine how guilty I felt, Tony... My only job was to protect her, to look after her, and she died just before my eyes, because I was too busy laughing and have fun with my friends rather than keeping an eye on her. I couldn't even look my parents in the eye.” 

He took a deep breath and he rubbed his eyes, before looking Tony in the eye, “However, I learnt, years later, that she didn't drown herself that day : She had a cerebrovascular accident. She would have died, even if she was with me, or alone... She had a stroke, no one could have done anything about it.”

Then, Stephen announced, “All this to say... Sometimes, things happen, and we can't do anything about it. It would have happened, in every case. In your case, it doesn't matter what you could have done differently, it would still have happened, Tony... Don't blame yourself.” 

“It's hard not to.”

“I know...” Stephen managed to smile at him a little, “But right now, I think we can say we're not doing so badly : We're alive, we're OK... The three of us are OK.”

Tony opened his mouth to object, but Stephen carried on firmly, “Yes, we're shaken-up, but we're here for each other. The kid's alive, he's not alone, he's gonna need you, and I'm sure you'll do a wonderful job to help him.” 

Tony's eyes were still a little red and wet, but their glimmer of hopelessness was gone, “Yeah, maybe.”

Stephen nodded, as if there was no doubt about it. Then, he ordered gently, “You need to rest, Tony. Go to your Tower, I can be alone for a few hours.”

Tony opened his mouth, but he didn't have the time to answer. 

Because suddenly, two amber portals appeared in the corner of the hospital chamber, and Wong, with Dagan who looked actually pissed, went from them.

Strange almost groaned.

Oh, couldn't they wait just a little longer to make their appearance?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I hope you enjoyed this new chapter and the little chat Stephen and Tony had. :)
> 
> In the next chapter, we'll see the discussion between Dagan, Tony, Wong and Stephen at the hospital, and we'll see Tony and Peter as well!:)
> 
> WIX2


	22. Respecting The Procedure

The second the two sorcerers appeared in the hospital chamber, Tony snapped with venom, “C'mon, don't you know how to knock?!”

Dagan glanced nonchalantly at Tony while he raised an eyebrow, as if Tony was just an annoying mere insect, before giving his attention back to Stephen and looking daggers at him, “You...”

With clenched fists, Dagan was about to approach him, but Tony protectively planted himself in front of him, being in his way and ready to push him back. 

This time, Dagan gave all his attention to Tony before him. He gave him a dirty look, and he hissed scornfully, “Get out of my way, and leave... It's sorcerers' business, here.”

Tony did move, but it was not to obey. He approached Dagan until their chests brushed, and without being impressed in the least, he replied, “I consider it my business, so it's my business.”

Dagan raised his eyebrows, surprised by this defiant and proud attitude. He narrowed his eyes and he cracked his knuckles threateningly, “Then, I'll make you leave.”

Tony didn't move, “Try, it's gonna be cute... Or embarrassing, in your case.”

Dagan was about to lunge at Tony, but Stephen's cold voice intervened, “You touch him, I kill you.”

It froze Dagan on the post, because judging by Stephen's deadly serious tone, it was not words in the air, and when Dagan glanced towards the doctor, he understood the latter was not bluffing at all. 

Stephen's eyes lost their beautiful sky blue colour: They darkened, becoming hostile and full of silent threats.

It was rather terrifying, even if Stephen was confined to bed. Dagan was not stupid enough to underestimate him, that's why he stayed still, but he sniggered, “With your broken ribs and your tired magic?”

Stephen calmly shook his head, “No... With Cloak.” 

With these words, the red relic which stayed discreet in a corner revealed itself, and threateningly flew towards Dagan, unkindly stiff and ready to strike. 

Wong intervened, “C'mon, calm down, we have no time for this!”

Tony didn't take his eyes off Dagan when he snapped angrily, “Then, tell your pitbull stop being an asshole and explain why the hell he is doing here, expect to piss me off.”

Dagan chuckled darkly, astonished and a little admiring by Tony's guts, “Show a little respect, it's thanks to competent sorcerers like me that your reality is safe.”

Tony pretended to be astonished, “Oh ? Thanks to sorcerers? Sorry, but this fact is not very obvious if you turn TV on... It's difficult to see your... competence.” 

God, it was so great to see Dagan's face twitch that Tony mentally applauded himself. 

“There was a... mere complication.” Dagan admitted with a grimace.

Tony's jaw clenched, as he shot back, “Do you know how many people are injured, because of this ''mere complication''? People could have been killed!”

Dagan rolled his eyes, “Yeah, but no one died.”

Tony gnashed his teeth, “Not thanks to you!” 

Stephen and Wong shared a quick glance, while Tony and Dagan were ready to be at each other's throat. 

Strange cleared his throat loudly to draw their attention and remind them they were not alone, and he asked Wong calmly, “When?”

“In two days.” The librarian answered, trying to stay aloof, but his mouth grimaced a little, showing he was not as insensitive as he wanted to show.

Tony frowned worryingly, as he turned towards Wong, “What's happening in two days?” 

It was Dagan who answered, “Strange's trial.”

Tony couldn't help but give a forced laugh, “Are you kidding?”

Wong just shook his head, and judging by Stephen's collected expression, the latter didn't seem surprised in the least by this announce. 

Tony blinked, and it hit him hard : Stephen already knew it was going to happen, the second he understood he survived his sacrifice. 

Anger and indignation burned Tony's chest, as he protested fiercely, “C'mon, this is ridiculous! A trial for what?”

“Bringing a person back to life is forbidden: As sorcerers, we must protect the natural balance.” Dagan explained, and of course he felt free to hiss a cutting and scornful remark at the end, “But that's something a mere mundane can't understand.” 

Tony clenched his fists and opened his mouth angrily, but Stephen intervened gently with a reassuring, but a little sad, smile, “Tony, it's OK...”

“No, it's not OK!” Tony fired back through clenched teeth as he showed Stephen with his hand, “You're saying to me that Stephen is going to have a trial because he saved an innocent life ?” 

The three sorcerers stayed silent, which was the equivalent as a yes. 

Stephen was staring at Tony in silence, it was hard for the billionaire to comprehend precisely what was inside these illegible eyes. 

There was actually gratefulness, but it was mixed with sadness, knowing that this support, as nice and touching as it was, was actually useless.

This acceptance angered Tony even more. 

He snapped, “Do you know who Stephen saved? It was a good kid, just a child who rescued a lot of people when the monster attacked the street! He evacuated the city, while you...” He pointed at Dagan and Wong, “... were sunbathing! The truth is, if you were really competent, and not just a brunch of morons, Stephen wouldn't have had to save that life!”

It was the first time since Tony knew Wong that the latter was looking down. However, he was avoiding above all Stephen's gaze. 

It was not because of anger or disappointment. 

It was just shame. 

Even Dagan didn't know what to say for a moment, but his pride forced him to retort, “You don't save a life when the person is already dead... Strange brought a person back to life, that's totally different.” 

Tony crossed his arms against his chest, “And? What's the problem with that?”

He wanted Wong to answer, but Dagan couldn't keep his mouth shut, “The problem is that it's the worst sorcerer's crime... It must be punished, that's why we're here.”

Tony gave a faint scowl, as he turned his head toward Dagan, “Instead of organizing a bloody stupid trial, you should spend your time trying to solve the ''mere complication'' in Kamar-Taj!”

“Don't give me orders-”

“Or else you'll do what? You'll take your little magic wand out and rap me on the knuckles?”

“Enough, both of you!” Stephen ordered. It was so sudden that the two of them obeyed immediately, but they of course continued to glare at each other. 

Stephen sighed as he addressed Wong, “Fine, my trial is in two days, great, I got it. I guess you're not only here to nicely announce it, so why are you here ?”

Dagan took the opportunity to attack, “We're here because we respect the procedure, you know... ''Respecting the laws'', that's something you don't seem to understand, Strange.”

Wong glared at Dagan with annoyance and he intervened coldly, “Dagan, don't spew your hatred.”

Dagan spread his arms with wide eyes as he turned towards Wong, “You don't agree?”

“The person who died is dear to Stephen.” Wong replied slowly, actually avoiding the question. However, it was clear he was more understanding than Dagan, who was blinded by his anger.

The latter just scowled, “Bullshit! He's just an arrogant bastard who puts himself above the laws!” 

“Repeat?” Tony threatened. 

Stephen felt it was really starting to degenerate. Tony's fingers were close to his bright reactor, ready to deploy his suit, and the doctor didn't want a war in his hospital chamber. 

“STOP!” He yelled, as he glanced at Dagan, “Do what you have to do and get out!”

Dagan smirked, “With pleasure.”

Dagan walked around Tony, who only stayed unwillingly still because he met Stephen's firm and warning gaze.

Dagan joined his hands together, rubbed them, and then he opened his arms. Two amber handcuffs with weird symbols on the large chains appeared between his hands.

Tony protested fiercely, “Really? You're going to cuff Stephen to the bed like a criminal?”

Dagan calmly glanced at him with raised eyebrows, replying silently that Stephen was a criminal, so he deserved to be treated as one.

It was too much for Tony. 

Knowing he didn't need his entire suit, he just extended his watch gauntlet, the repulsor hot and ready to fire locked on Dagan, “I swear, you move your little toe towards Stephen, I fire, and the sorcerers will have to organize your funerals on top of Stephen's trial.” 

Stephen had never seen Tony that furious, and he didn't expect the playboy to really threaten a sorcerer, for him. 

Dagan froze, and glared at Tony, already trying to find a way to get rid of him. 

Before Stephen could act, Wong moved his hand towards Dagan to order him to stay still. 

Then, the librarian moved slowly towards Tony with his both hands raised, even if the latter's watch gauntlet was only aiming at Dagan.

Wong explained, “These handcuffs will prevent him from using his magic and will keep him here... They will be removed two days later, when we'll come to get him for his trial. They're not dangerous at all, I promise.”

Tony didn't lower his hand, but he let Wong move towards him, knowing he couldn't hurt him. 

When the librarian was just next to him, he whispered into Tony's ear, “Please, Stark, stop! It's either the handcuffs here, or the dungeons of Kamar-Taj... It was already hard for me to convince the Council to let Stephen be at the hospital considering his state of health, and not in the dungeons like other judged sorcerers, so cool it!” 

“It's madness!” Tony replied, as stubborn as usual, “You can't agree with that! He's innocent!”

Wong sighed sadly, “He's not innocent, for Kamar-Taj's justice.”

Tony couldn't answer that, much to his displeasure. He bit his lower lip, but despite his hesitation, he continued to threaten Dagan with his gauntlet.

“I swear, everything's gonna be fine.” Wong whispered, as he carefully put an hand on Tony's outstretched arm to lower it. 

It was only when Tony saw Stephen calmly nodding at him that he accepted to lower his arm with a grimace.

However, Wong still held his arm, to be sure Tony will stay by his side.

Now having full freedom of movement, Dagan knelt in front of Stephen, and he brutally grabbed the latter's right wrist. Even if Stephen really wanted to resist and punch Dagan in the face, he didn't struggle.

He let Dagan, who was not gentle at all, cuff too tightly his first wrist to the bed. Stephen felt the handcuffs burn his skin, but he refused to let out any moan of pain. 

He started to feel his magic weaken, but the familiar magical warmth inside his veins was still here, reassuring him and reminding him it was still there.

However, Stephen knew it won't last : The second Dagan will tie his second wrist to the bed, the two handcuffs combined will block his magic entirely.

He knew it will not be a pleasant experience.

“It'll be too bad if you escape now you're strong enough, right?” Dagan whispered, so that only Stephen could hear him, as he grabbed the doctor's other wrist. 

Stephen repressed a grimace because of the rough seizure, and he shook his head, “I wouldn't have escaped.”

Dagan rolled his eyes, but he didn't comment. He held Stephen's wrist firm, as he took the other handcuffs, “You know what you're risking, don't you?” 

As Stephen wasn't answering, Dagan carried on, without hiding his joy, “You can lose your magic, or be banished, at best... Oh, don't hope too much, Strange. What you've done is too serious : Your magic will be removed from you, that's certain.”

Stephen couldn't contradict him, this time, and this truth hit him hard. 

“You should be grateful.” Dagan teased coldly, and rather cruelly, as he cuffed Stephen's second wrist.

This time, it was so brutal Stephen couldn't hold back a brief gasp of pain. 

He glared at Dagan, who continued nonchalantly, “Thanks to me, you'll get used to being an useless mundane without magic before the end of your trial...”

Before Stephen could retort, Dagan snapped his fingers, and the handcuffs holding Stephen's arms back, became little by little transparent, until they were completely invisible. 

Then, Dagan withdrew, proud of his action, “Done.”

Wong just nodded.

“Great, you messed around and you stirred up the shit. Now, get out of there.” Tony hissed, and Wong understood they had to obey quickly if they wanted to stay alive. 

He created a portal, nodded sadly – and maybe apologetically – at Stephen and Tony, and Dagan followed him inside without another glance.

They disappeared.

Tony released the breath he was holding, and he asked, moving towards Stephen now cuffed to his bed, “Are you OK?”

Stephen didn't answer.

He was destabilized by the absence of his magic. It was actually more horrible than he was fearing. He felt as if he was deprived of the most important part of himself, as if he has been amputated. 

He felt... empty.

However, the main problem was that he was feeling vulnerable, helpless, and this situation reminded him of Mordo who blocked his magic to torture him. 

He tried to be rational, repeating himself in his mind that he was safe in his hospital chamber with Tony, who was currently asking him if he was OK, but it was not enough, and the sorcerer couldn't answer. The words he wanted to say couldn't go out of his compressed throat.

He forced himself to take a few deep breaths, to slow down his breathing and his heartbeats, but it was useless, he was overwhelmed by his sudden panic.

He tried to move his arms, they were firmly tied. He tried to use his magic by reflexes, by moving his fingers, but he couldn't reach it.

He felt trapped. 

No, please, not now...

Suddenly, he felt Tony's hands gently cup his face. The latter was not saying a word, he just bent, and he gently pressed Stephen's head against the crook of his own shoulder, letting Stephen weakly bury his face into his neck. 

Stephen's laboured breathing was the only sounds audible in the hospital chamber, but he tried to apologize through his chocked sobs, “Tony, I-I-I'm s... s-sorry...”

“Don't apologize, Stephanie. Breathe.” Tony said gently, as he started to stroke Stephen's cheek with his thumb, regularly and slowly.

When Tony was suffering from his own panic attack, he was not appeased by words or by breathing exercises : He was only appeased by a firm, but gentle, physical contact which was anchoring him in reality. 

He hoped it was the same, with Stephen.

And it worked : Little by little, Stephen closed his eyes, and he only focused on Tony's strong shoulder where his head was on, and Tony's body odour. 

It was a reassuring presence, which permitted him to slow down his breathing.

He was not alone.

He was safe.

Tony didn't let go of Stephen's head, even when the latter calmed down, and he didn't stop his thumb from stroking Stephen's cheek either. 

They stayed in this position for a long moment in silence, not knowing what to say or do.

What was sure, however, was that Tony abandoned the idea of going to his Tower to rest : He was going to stay here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! :)
> 
> I finished my exams, so I'm gonna have more time to write, now! :)
> 
> Peter will arrive in the next chapter, promise, promise, Stephen and him will talk !:)
> 
> And the trial will happen either in the next chapter or the following one... :)
> 
> Thanks for all your support and your kind comments!:)
> 
> WIX2


	23. Nothing Without It

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING : Scarification. (Past and not described. )

Only five minutes after Tony left Stephen's hospital chamber, his phone rang. He knew who was calling him, so he didn't even look at the screen when he answered nonchalantly, “Kid! Do you miss me already?”

“Tony, I hate you!” 

It was difficult for the playboy to hear Peter's voice, the kid was whispering, probably not to wake Stephen up. 

Tony didn't hide his smile as he purred playfully, “As much as that?”

“Open the door!” Peter muttered hastily, sounding pressed and frustrated.

“What door?” Tony pretended not to understand, but he couldn't help but smile proudly. Locking Peter up in Stephen's hospital chamber was the best idea he ever had. 

The kid couldn't get out, there were indeed windows, but they were too small to permit a human being to go through. 

So, he was forced to stay there, even when Stephen will wake up. He will not run to avoid the sorcerer.

Tony was a genius, and the kid was very slow, this time : It took him five minutes to understand he was blocked there.

“The door of Stephen's hospital chamber!”

Tony bit his lower lip not to laugh, “Ahhh, yes that particular door... Well, kid, it's gonna be complicated because I unintentionally lost the key... You know, I have to look for it, so it's gonna be long... Very long.”

Actually, Tony didn't use a key. 

He just used a wonderful gadget of his suit, to block the door. 

“You think that's funny? Please Tony, you can't do that, I'm not ready-”

Tony rolled his eyes as he interrupted the kid, “You're not ready for what? Talk to Stephen? Hey, even if he's not the most friendly person I've met, I'm sure he's not gonna bite you...” 

He made a short pause, pretending to reconsider, “Er... Well, we never truly know, with Stephen, maybe he bites... But don't worry, kid, even if he bites, I'm sure he's not venomous-”

“Tony!” Peter gasped, and Tony actually heard panic in the kid's quivering voice. Peter wasn't exaggerating, he was truly terrified, so Iron-Man became serious, “I'm doing this for your own good, kid.”

“By locking me up in Stephen's chamber against my will?!”

“Yes.” Tony nodded naturally, as if it was the most logical thing he even thought of, “Kid... You need to talk to him, you can't run forever.”

“Why not?”

Tony rolled his eyes at the kid's denial, “Because you're not OK, and talking to Stephen will help you.” 

“That's not true, I'm fine-”

“Really?” The billionaire interrupted him rather dryly, “Then, why do you always come at Stephanie's bedside at the same hour? Funny, isn't it? Always at the same time, in the middle of the night... Maybe you're going to see Stephen every night because it's the best moment to run away while your Aunt is sleeping, but I think it's something else. A nightmare, maybe?” 

The suffocating silence which answered him proved he was right, and he carried on, “A nightmare including Stephen? Maybe, every night, you see him dying in your sleep, so you need to come in his chamber to be sure he's still alive?”

“Why talking to Stephen will change that?”

Tony noticed Peter didn't deny. He didn't know if he had to be proud of himself to have guessed, or on the contrary, sad to be right about such a sad new.

“Because being in bad terms with Stephen won't help you, and the more you sulk, the more you'll stay blocked on these nightmares.” Then, Tony smiled, “Everything's gonna be OK. Have a nice talk, kid.”

Before Peter could protest or insult him, Tony hung up. 

///

“Hello, Stephen.” Peter's voice was the first thing Stephen heard when he woke up. He noticed the kid's tone was still aloof, but not as cold and dry as before. 

The sorcerer turned his head towards the sound of Peter's voice, and he saw him, sitting on a chair at his bedside. 

The kid looked like hell, he had dark circles under his eyes, and Stephen was sure he lost weight.

However, the worst was what only doctor's eyes could see : There were fresh cuts on the kid's right forearm. He was trying to hide them under large steeves, but his movements were showing some of them.

They were too precise to be an accident. 

Too symmetrical and too similar to be involuntary.

Peter scarified his arm. 

It broke Stephen's heart, but he forced his eyes not to widen in horror and he decided to let it go, for now. 

He'll take care of that later.

Saying Stephen was astonished to see Peter here was an euphemism, but he managed to ask without sounding too ill-at-ease, “Peter... How are you feeling?”

The kid tried to smile, either to seem reassuring or relaxed, but it was so sad, broken and bitter that his attempt failed miserably, “Not so good.”

Peter nervously rubbed the back of his head, as he just asked, “And you?”

Stephen smiled sadly, glancing quickly at the two handcuffs which tied him firmly to the bed, “Not so good.”

Peter nodded, and he sighed, looking at his hands in order to avoid the sorcerer's gaze. Stephen knew the kid by heart, he understood Peter was nervous, just by looking at his body language.

Peter cleared his throat, and he raised his head to meet Stephen's eyes, “Tony told me what happened with the other sorcerers, you know... For your trial... I'm sorry.”

Stephen shook his head, “It's not your fault, kid.”

Peter laughed brokenly, and he hissed with sarcasm, “No, of course not... You're going to have a trial, maybe your magic will be removed from you and you'll lose your title of master of the mystic arts, because you brought a person back to life...” 

He darkly pretended to think, by stroking his chin, “Who's this person?” He raised a finger, “Oh, it's me! But you're right, it's not my fault at all, I don't even know why that crossed my mind.”

The end of Peter's reply quivered with bitterness, but Stephen wasn't sure anymore if it was really towards him. The kid seemed to be mad at Stephen and at himself, at the same time.

“Still angry about it, aren't you?” Stephen guessed calmly, without any judgement or bitterness. His gaze was actually soft and understanding, it destabilised Peter a little.

The kid's jaw clenched as he whispered, “Yes, I am...” 

However, his voice lost its bitterness. It was as if Peter was too tired to express his resentment correctly.

Stephen was not surprised, but he couldn't say it wasn't hurting at all. He swallowed with difficulty, “Why?”

Peter glared at him, and he replied with annoyance, “Do I need to say it? I think it's obvious.”

“Yes, kid... You need to say it: What anger you, precisely?”

“It's just...” Peter pursed his lips, “I can't blame you for being an idiot who's always willing to sacrifice himself, because I'm as an idiot as you : I did the same with Tony, after all.” 

Stephen blinked away the horrible images forever imprinted in his mind of Peter being impaled by the tentacle when he asked, “But?”

Peter looked up, and his brown eyes were full of tears, “But I did it without thinking about it... I'm not saying that, if I had thought of the consequences, I wouldn't have done it... But just... I did it without thinking. I just wanted to save Tony's life, so I pushed him and took his place...” 

A single tear ran on Peter's cheek and his lips quivered. He turned his head, probably to hide his stricken expression, but Stephen could still see his profile. 

The teenager continued, “You, you knew the consequences... You gave your life for me, you thought your life had no value and didn't matter, compared to mine... You knew you were going to abandon me-” 

He stopped because his throat was too compressed to speak. 

He squeezed his eyes shut, but it didn't prevent the tears from flowing on his cheeks. He took a deep breath to pull himself together, and he let out a single sob when he finished, his voice not above a broken whisper, “And you were OK with all of that...” 

It took longer than necessary for Stephen to react; Seeing the kid that shattered made him want to cry with him. 

Stephen sighed for a long time, “For most of my life, I only thought of me... I only valued my own life.”

“So?” Peter replied rather rudely, as he sniffed and wiped away his tears, “You think it's good if you do the opposite?”

“It's not good... It's fair.” 

Peter shook his head to express his disagreement, but he let Stephen continue, “I always failed to protect the people I care about, Peter. I saw my entire family die one after the other. I...” 

This sentence piqued Peter's interest. However, even if he wanted to learn more about Stephen's past, he held his tongue.

Stephen took a deep breath to finish, “ I couldn't fail with you too. I just... couldn't.” 

Peter's body became less tense and he softened a little. His tone was gentler and less accusing when he answered, “But I don't want a protector or a bodyguard, Stephen... I just want a friend.”

Stephen blinked, not knowing what to say. 

Peter brought his chair closer with a sigh, so that his face was just in front of Stephen's, “I don't want you to risk your life every time I'm in danger, because you're convinced in your head that you must protect me, that it's ''your duty''.” 

Without thinking, Peter took Stephen's cuffed hand and squeezed it gently, “I just want you to be by my side, but that's not gonna work if you always see yourself as my personal bodyguard.”

Stephen stared darkly at the solid handcuffs which were keeping him lying on his hospital bed, “Yeah, well...” He swallowed, “Don't worry about the ''bodyguard thing''... I won't be able to do much anymore...”

“That's not true.” 

Stephen wasn't looking up, hiding his eyes, but he allowed his mask to crack, he showed his weaknesses when he admitted with vulnerability, “I'm scared, Peter.”

The kid felt a dull ache stir inside his chest, as Stephen carried on faintly, “I'm scared of being useless once more, without my magic.... My magic, it's all I have... I'm nothing without it.”

“If you're nothing without it, then you shouldn't have it.” Peter replied gently, “Tony told me that once.” 

The kid smiled a little, lost in this memory as he repositioned the pillows behind Stephen's back so that he could be more comfortable, “At first, I couldn't truly understand where he was heading, but I do, now.”

Stephen frowned, but he remained quiet and he kept looking down. Apprehension was written all over his tired face. 

Peter sighed. He hated the fear he was seeing. The worst was it was caused by this stupid and unfair trial. 

Stephen didn't deserve that.

The teenager gently tapped under Stephen's chin with a finger so that the sorcerer look right into his eyes, and he asked softly, “Do you know who I was, before I got my powers?” 

Stephen stared at him with a questioning gaze and a frown, and Peter continued, “I was a stupid, chatty and clumsy kid, horrible with girls: I couldn't even form proper sentences without blushing. And now...?”

Peter smiled, “I'm the same, although I did make progress with girls... A little, but that's just thanks to you and Tony, it has nothing to do with my powers... Well, I'm sure fast healing and agility are rather attractive but my mask makes me look scary and I really have an elastic body, worse than a chewing-gum-”

“Kid.”

“Sorry...” Peter blushed a little, and this situation was so familiar and normal that it felt good. 

Stephen surprised himself to smile fondly.

Peter cleared his throat, “Anyway, all this to say that my powers, as upsetting as they are, they never changed me. They changed my life, they changed my body, that's certain, but that's all... I'm not defined by my powers, even if it's an important part of me...” 

He pointed at Stephen with a sweet smile, “And it's the same for you.”

This gentle smile was simple, but for Stephen, it was truly the light at the end of the tunnel, it was a source of hope. 

He realised how deeply he had missed the kid.

However, Stephen was not convinced at all, “I use my abilities to make a difference, to fix my past mistakes... It's what gives my life meaning, Peter. I will lose my goal, I'll be useless.”

Peter winced, as he gently massaged Stephen's hand in his own with his thumb, “Hey, I'm not saying the change is not gonna be hard...” 

Peter raised a finger, “But firstly, we don't know if you're really going to lose your magic, it's not certain at all.” 

He formed the number two with his fingers, “Secondly, if it happens, you'll do something else. It's not because you don't save the world that you'll be useless... You'll still be useful on a small scale, just for everyday life...” 

“I'm not sure ab-”

Peter interrupted him without any politeness, “And thirdly, you won't be alone.”

As Stephen couldn't find something to retort, the kid whispered softly, “You'll always be a hero, Grumpy, no matter what you're doing...”

They shared a rather long silence. 

Stephen noticed the use of the ridiculous nickname ''Grumpy''. He knew it meant Peter was forgiving him slowly but surely, and he couldn't describe the relief and the joy he felt. 

He whispered warmly, “Thank you.”

Peter just nodded.

Now that it was a little clearer, Stephen decided to approach a more delicate problem. 

Rather roughly and despite his handcuff, the sorcerer managed to grab the kid's right wrist, and this sudden movement made the latter's steeves move, revealing some of the fresh cuts. 

When Peter was going to get free, the sorcerer just squeezed, making the hold almost painful.

His blue gaze was so terrifying that Peter didn't dare struggle, so he let the sorcerer hold firmly his forearm, showing the cuts Peter wanted to ignore and forget.

Stephen could have been gentler, but he couldn't bear to see the kid hurt himself. 

“This.” Stephen hissed harshly, as he glared at the cuts, “You never do that again, understood?” 

Stephen was so stern that Peter shrivelled and lowered shamefully his head, avoiding Stephen's ruthless gaze as he whispered, “I won't, I promise.”

Stephen didn't soften in the least, “How many times did you do it?”

“Only once.” Peter muttered quickly, but Stephen needed to be sure. 

He narrowed his eyes with distrust, “Really?”

“Yes, only once, I promise!” Peter sounded sincere, and he was begging Stephen with his eyes to believe him. 

The doctor did. He sighed sadly, as he let go of the kid's wrist, “Why, stupid kid?” 

Peter didn't answer, he just pressed his scarified forearm now free against his chest. However, Stephen knew why he did this to himself : Scarification was a punishment, meaning Peter was blaming himself. 

There was a long silence. 

Finally, when the kid spoke, Stephen had to prick up his ears to hear him, “It happened after a nightmare.” 

As Stephen frowned, Peter cleared his throat, “I... Usually, I can't sleep. Every time I close my eyes, I'm scared I'm gonna die again. It's stupid, I know, but I just...” 

Peter couldn't help but press slowly his hand against his chest, at the emplacement of the injury which killed him, “I can almost feel my injury and the pain, I can feel myself dying again, and-”

He stopped and shrugged, looking down.

Stephen firmly shook his head, “It's not stupid. Dying is not a good experience, it's traumatizing.”

Stephen's tone was weird, almost... understanding, as if he already lived it before.

Peter made a mental note to ask about this weird reaction later, but right now, he just continued, “When I actually managed to sleep, which was a miracle, I had a nightmare.”

“What kind of nightmare?”

Peter rubbed his wet eyes, “I was lying on the ground, and you were just next to me, with Tony who was trying to keep you alive, but... He was failing, you were dying, and I couldn't do anything about it. I was pinned on the ground, I couldn't move, I couldn't even scream for help...”

He glanced at his injured forearm, disgusted and horrified by himself, “When I woke up, I was so angry at me, I wanted to feel pain, I wanted to punish myself so I...” 

The kid didn't need to continue. 

“You'll need to clean these cuts and put a dressing.” Stephen ordered coldly, and the kid nodded docilely, frozen on his chair, probably fearing Stephen's reaction, after his confession. 

The sorcerer sighed and he whispered more gently, with a smile, “Come here, stupid kid.”

When Peter looked up with surprise, Stephen understood it was not what he expected at all. However, he obeyed quickly, as if he was fearing Stephen would brutally change his mind. 

He got on the corner of the bed, and he snuggled up against Stephen, making sure not to touch or lean on Stephen's painful chest because of his ribs, and he rested his forehead on the sorcerer's shoulder. 

Stephen wanted so badly to wrap his arms around the kid curled up on the bed next to him, but these damn handcuffs were preventing him from doing so. He just pressed his cheek against the top of the kid's head, and planted a gentle kiss on it. 

“I'm weak.” The kid's voice was muffled by Stephen's shoulder.

“Why?” Stephen frowned.

“I wanted to be mad at you for a week at least.”

Stephen surprised himself to chuckle a little, “Then, I'm glad you're a fragile child.” He felt the kid smile against his shoulder. 

Stephen swallowed, “Please, stay...” 

The sorcerer didn't even care about the vulnerability of his voice. He couldn't see the kid leave again. 

Peter raised his eyes to wink gently, “I'm not going anywhere, Grumpy. Expect to buy you fruits.”

When Stephen smiled, it actually reached his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, it's better between Peter and Stephen. Next chapter, it's Stephen's trial!:)
> 
> Thanks a lot for your kind comments !:)
> 
> WIX2


	24. The Trial : Part I

The day of the trial, a few hours after his last visit, Tony unblocked the door of Stephen's hospital chamber, opened it, and entered nonchalantly. 

What he saw was not what he had expected at all : Stephen and Peter were huddled together on the hospital bed, deeply sleeping. The kid's face was buried in the sorcerer's shoulder, while the latter's cheek was pressed against the top of Peter's head. 

Seeing Stephen and Peter like that was the most adorable thing Tony has even seen. He almost felt his heart blow to pieces because of this cute sight.

The billionaire noticed Stephen was peaceful, when he was sleeping : Nothing was tensing his features, and the doctor was not showing his usual cold and jaded mask. 

He was even more beautiful. Tony shook his head violently, trying to get rid of this weird thought.

Suddenly having a particular mean thought in mind, Tony silently pulled out his phone with a wicked grin. 

He was about to take a picture of the pair, but the hoarse and deep voice of Stephen froze him, “Don't you dare take a picture.”

Tony almost jumped in surprise because he didn't even notice Stephen was awake. Actually, Strange's eyes were still closed and his face still relaxed, even when he intervened.

Tony couldn't help but smile, but he didn't lower his phone in the least. He wriggled his eyebrows and teased, “You don't photograph well, Stephanie?”

Stephen weakly opened his eyes to narrow them dryly at the playboy, “Tony...”

“Yes?” His voice was too innocent, it annoyed Stephen even more.

“Don't. Take. A. Picture.” He hissed, trying to move his hands to snatch the phone out of Tony's hands, but of course, the strong handcuffs were still there to limit his movements.

Tony was focused on his screen, pretending not to hear him. Stephen sighed, dropping the back of his head on his pillow with an annoyed groan, “I hate you...”

“I love you too, my Awesome Facial Hair Bro.”

Stephen managed to glare at him, even if his cheeks were becoming red, “Don't-”

His dry protest was interrupted by a quick white flash from Tony's phone, and the latter smirked, “Too late...”

“You'll regret that.”

“I'm sure I will.” Tony replied lightly, not convinced at all by Stephen's threat. He glanced at the picture taken with a proud smile, before putting his phone back into the pocket of his dark jacket, “How are you feeling?”

The playboy's voice was deadly serious, this time ; He was not taking Stephen's health lightly. 

Stephen shrugged, “I'm OK.”

Tony didn't believe him, “Not too afraid?”

His voice was not playful at all : He was really compassionate, but this question was rather clumsy, given that Stephen totally forgot about his trial, until now. 

It was a hard reminder. The sorcerer lost his confidence and he winced, “Well, I am now, thanks for reminding me my trial...”

Tony grimaced, giving him an apologetic look, “Sorry... Tact is not really my thing.”

Stephen raised an eyebrow, and he purred with sarcasm, “Really? I haven't noticed...”

“Yeah, that's strange...” Tony joked, smirking at Stephen's deadpan and annoyed expression.

“AH.AH.AH, very funny.” The sorcerer rolled his eyes, “And very original.”

“Could you two shut up? I'm trying to sleep...” The muffled voice of Peter interrupted their conversation, and the two adults gasped in surprise. 

They almost forgot the kid was there. 

Even if Peter was now awake, he was keeping his face buried in the sorcerer's shoulder in order to protect his eyes from the light. He even pulled the blanked up, probably with the intention of going back to sleep.

“Well, now that you're awake, you can join our conversation, kid...” Tony teased with a grin, putting his both hands on his waist. 

The kid grumbled something beyond understanding, but he didn't move, staying snuggled up against the sorcerer. 

Stephen fondly rolled his eyes at Peter's bad mood, and he glanced towards Tony, “He's such a lazybones...” 

Tony nodded with a smile, showing he agreed with him. 

“Hey! I'm not deaf, that was mean, Grumpy.” Peter protested weakly, and Stephen let out a brief laugh, “Who's grumpy, now?” 

The kid totally ignored his remark, even if Stephen swore he saw him smile. Peter raised his head just a little to look at Stephen and he asked tiredly, “What time is it?”

“6:00 in the morning.” Tony answered, as he glanced at his watch.

Peter's eyes widened, “What?! It's too early!”

He brutally straightened his back, and he rubbed his eyes still half closed with a grimace. Tony rolled his eyes at the kid's exaggerated horrified reaction, “C'mon, kid. It's not that bad... When I was your age, I was already working in the lab, at that hour.” 

Then, the playboy pointed at Stephen, “And I'm sure Stephanie, at that hour, was already mercilessly dissecting a poor animal's brain... A fish? A frog? A mouse? Who knows...”

An amused smile played on Peter's lips at Tony's disgusted expression. Stephen narrowed his eyes, pretending not to share their amusement, “Go fuck yourself, Tony.” It was really coming from the heart and it was so blunt that Peter couldn't help but burst out laughing. 

“Very classy, Stephanie.” Tony noticed with a soft smile. 

Suddenly, an amber portal appeared at the corner of the room, and Wong went through it calmly, nodding briefly at them.

“Wong...” Tony welcomed him a little coldly, “You didn't bring your pitbull with you?” 

It was mainly a sarcastic remark, but deep down, Tony was really relieved knowing Dagan wasn't there. 

Wong was not surprised at all by Tony's rude behaviour, : What happened was obviously still stuck in Tony's throat, and the librarian couldn't blame him. 

He just raised his eyebrows, as jaded and nonchalant as usual, “I didn't bring Dagan with me because I wanted to avoid a murder; The day is full enough.”

He wasn't joking. 

Tony smirked a little, but he didn't contradict him : He was in fact really capable of murdering that bastard, and they both knew it, that's why it was better if Dagan wasn't there.

Wong calmly turned towards Peter, and he asked gruffly, but with concern, “How are you feeling?”

“I'm good.” The teenager answered, with a shy smile. 

Wong just nodded, and he slowly headed towards Stephen's bed with a sad sigh. He took each of the magical handcuffs inside his hands, and he closed his eyes. 

In an instant, the ties disappeared and Stephen's wrists were free. A relieved sigh broke through Stephen's lips, as he rubbed gently his painful wrists. He also felt his magic coming back, burning his veins and warmly crackling at the end of his fingers.

It felt good.

“Thank you.” Stephen whispered, as he quickly healed the red marks around his wrists, caused by the handcuffs. 

He knew Wong didn't have the right to free a sorcerer awaiting trial : He was giving him a short break, and Stephen couldn't be more grateful. 

Wong nodded coldly, and he darkly asked with a frown, “Ready?”

“No.” Strange answered honestly with an anxious gaze, as he stood up and slowly moved his arms and legs to soothe his muscles, “But what other choices do I have?”

Wong didn't answer, he just pursed his lips.

“Could I be his lawyer?” Tony suddenly suggested seriously, and Stephen couldn't help but chuckle gently, “No thanks, Tony... I'd like to stay free.”

Tony glared at him, while Wong shook his head, “Sadly, Stark, it's not possible.”

“Why not?”

Wong raised his eyebrows, “Because there are no lawyers, in sorcerers' trials... Besides, it's not really your profession, isn't it?”

Tony smirked with confidence as he shrugged, “True, but I'm a fast learner and... I read Wikipedia, last night...”

Wong seemed annoyed. 

He didn't even bother to answer.

Stephen smiled, but he hid it with his hand when Wong glared at him. It was a simple smile, but it lit up his entire face. 

That sight was so rare that Tony felt warm butterflies in his stomach. 

Well, at least, he tried to convince himself that the fact that this smile was rare was the only reason of this weird reaction.

Peter sighed sadly, “So, we can't do anything about it, correct?”

Wong softened, and he gently shook his head. He opened his mouth, probably with the intention of saying some reassuring words, but he knew it would land flat, so he stayed silent.

At a moment, he sighed while he turned towards Stephen, “It's time...”

The doctor nodded.

Tony really wanted to hug the sorcerer, but something was stopping him, maybe just his stupid pride and his obsession to never show he was caring about somebody. 

Consequently, he just approached Stephen, put his hand on his shoulder and squeezed it a little, “Good luck, Stephen.”

Stephen gave him a grateful smile. 

Peter hugged the sorcerer tightly, making sure not to touch Stephen's ribs, “Remember, Grumpy : Always a hero, no matter what you're doing.”

Stephen just nodded, his throat too compressed to answer. Then, with a timid smile, the kid pulled away.

Stephen took a deep breath, and he looked at Wong with a nod. 

He was ready.

///

Stephen was on the stand, in the centre of the room. He was surrounded by all the masters, who were sitting on long seats, staring at him in silence. 

He could easily read some of their gazes ; Some of them were scornful, disappointed and full of anger, whereas others, clearly a minority, were more understanding and tolerant. 

Stephen couldn't say it was not intimidating. However, he wasn't flinching, he was staying cold and collected, as if it wasn't concerning him, despite a lot of critics whispered he was hearing, or disdain he was reading in some eyes. 

His wrists were cuffed to the stand, with the same damn handcuffs as the ones at the hospital. This time, it was a little easier to be without magic, though. 

He wasn't saying a word. 

Actually, he couldn't, as long as the masters weren't allowing him to.

Indeed, a sorcerer's trial was a little different from normal ones : The masters had to take the book of Agamotto, where were written every single law of Kamar-Taj, with the appropriate punishment decided by the first Sorcerer Supreme. 

Then, every master had to stand in order to express their opinion about this case, and more precisely, express their opinion about the punishment suggested by Agamotto. 

For Stephen's crime, the punishment decided was 7 years of prison, the permanent removal of his magic and the loss of his title as a master of the mystic arts.

Right now, the masters were debating, interrupting one another, to decide if it was a fair punishment, or on the contrary, a little too stern one.

Right now, it was Dagan's turn to expose his opinion, and Stephen managed not to clench his teeth when he saw him stand up, arrange calmly the collar of his shirt and go to the centre of the room, close to Stephen. 

Dagan cleared his throat, and began loudly, “Life and Death give Nature an essential and strong balance, they allow the universe to persist.” 

Dagan made a short break, to glare at Stephen, before carrying on, “That's why all species, and in fact, everything in this infinite universe, live and die : That's the inevitable rule to respect, if we want to avoid chaos, if we want to live in a well-balanced world. That's why the Great Agamotto, Father of the Mystic Arts, decided to let Nature control who was going to live and who was going to die. He didn't want the sorcerers to intervene : He knew magic could serve Nature, but could also destroy it, if he was allowing too much.” 

Some of the masters nodded, while Wong was biting nervously his nails. 

Dagan pointed at Stephen scornfully, “However, this man, Master Stephen Strange, Master of the New-York Sanctum Sanctorum, broke this fundamental law willingly, knowing it was forbidden, knowing it was dangerous and damaging, for Nature. He brought a human being back to life, he made the deceased teenager an abomination, an unnatural thing-”

“He has a name.”

All the masters flinched. It was the first time Stephen opened his mouth, since the beginning of the trial.

“I'm sorry?” Dagan asked threateningly, but it was clear he was a little disturbed by this sudden intervention.

Stephen raised his chin and replied coldly, not intimidated at all, “You heard me... The ''abomination'' has a name.” 

He knew having a big mouth right now was not working in his favour, but he couldn't help himself. He could endure insults concerning himself, he was used to it, actually, but not concerning Peter.

Yanna winced, and intervened sternly, “Master Strange, you are not in position to say that comment.”

Stephen didn't lower his gaze, “And Master Dagan is not in position to insult an innocent child.” 

The room fell silent, but the crowd of masters didn't contradict him. 

Dagan didn't say a word for a moment, looking daggers at Stephen, but eventually, he continued as if nothing happened, but he didn't talk about Peter again, “What Master Strange did is unforgivable, that's why I agree with Agamotto's punishment... What's more, it's not the first time Master Strange doesn't obey... He never respected the rules : He's not worthy to be a master. He's not worthy to bear magic. He doesn't deserve to be free.”

Yanna suddenly stood up with a frown, “There are attenuating circumstances... Master Strange didn't break this law for the pleasure of breaking a law : He did it because he followed his heart, because he saved a boy he cares about. Every one can understand that.” She sadly pointed at Dagan with her hand, “Even you.”

“So what? We let him go just with a slap on the wrist because he loves the boy ?” Dagan snapped angrily, glaring at her with disgust and indignation. 

Yanna pursed her lips, and tears were discreetly gathering in the corner of her eyes, “I didn't say that, but Agamotto's punishment is too stern, in my opinion.”

Wong suddenly raised his hand, “I agree with Master Yanna.”

“Of course you agree...” Dagan rolled his eyes, “Do you know what could happen if you try to protect Master Strange, Wong? You'll be-”

Wong interrupted him dryly while he stood up and crossed his arms against his chest, “Master Dagan, when you were still a baby who couldn't speak without drooling, I was already in Kamar-Taj... I think I know the laws better than you.” 

Stephen tried to repress a proud smile when he saw Dagan's face, but he lowered his head to fully hide it.

The librarian continued.“I'm not protecting him, I'm just telling the truth : Master Strange is indeed stubborn, and... rather daring, but we can't ignore the fact that he's always done his duty with seriousness... He saved the world from Dormammu, saved his Sanctum from at least five attacks, and he's very active in Kamar-Taj, to train students. He's always there when we need him... It's too easy to say he doesn't deserve his title of master, just by looking at this mistake.”

The sorcerers didn't answer, lost in their thoughts, even Dagan couldn't deny that fact. Yanna took this opportunity to address Stephen, “Do you have something to say in your defence, Master Strange?”

Stephen looked up. 

He knew what the sorcerers wanted him to say : They wanted him to be sorry, to say he regretted what he has done, and maybe beg for forgiveness...

Actually, it was probably wiser if Stephen was doing just what they wanted, he could maybe receive mercy and avoid jail, if he was lucky. 

However, Stephen was tired of lying.

He calmly spoke, too tired to be angry or cry foul, “What do you want me to say, actually? That I'm sorry? That I regret what I've done?” 

He let out a forced, bitter laugh, before asking, “We're in a trial, right? All you want is honesty?”

Yanna nodded carefully, “Yes, that's what we want indeed, Master Strange.” 

“Alright...” Stephen sighed, gathering all his bravery, “I think I've done nothing wrong.” 

He heard a few gasps of surprise, but he ignored their horrified and indignant expression. 

He just saw Wong who was giving him a stern look, and Stephen knew perfectly well it was madness, but he proudly continued with a strong and firm voice, “I can't be sorry or regret what I did, because if I regret it, it means I regret that the kid's alive, and I don't... I broke this damn law decided by the ''Great'' Agamotto, and you know what? I don't give a shit... because the kid's breathing.” 

The crowd of masters, revolted, exploded. The great majority of masters stood up so brutally that a few of their seats fell, and they started to yell hysterically at Stephen who chose to ignore them. He was just looking at them with an offending nonchalance.

Dagan raised his arms, to order the crowd to calm down, and when the silence returned, he asked brutally with disdain, “You don't even regret the damages you've caused?” 

Stephen calmly glanced at him and he raised his eyebrows, “What damages?” 

No one answered him, so Stephen took advantage of the tense silence he created, “You know, it's maybe hard to believe, but I truly respect Agamotto for what he created... I'm sure he was a good man... However, the truth is that he was wrong : What Agamotto didn't know, was that using magic to bring a person back to life is not a threat to Nature... It never was, and it never will be.”

“Really?” One of the masters asked with a doubtful voice, but he sounded a little curious, though. 

Stephen shook his head, “Magic is not something out of nothing, it's a part of Nature, and Agamotto's mistake was to believe it was not.” 

Dagan gave a forced laugh, “It's madness!” 

Stephen continued, undaunted, “Do you know what happened when other sorcerers brought a person back to life, in the past?”

Wong was the one who answered, “The sorcerers all died.”

Stephen nodded, “Correct... Why?”

“Because the magic they drew was too strong, it killed them.”

“Not only...” Stephen contradicted him, “When we take something from Nature, we have to pay the price for it. That's why all the sorcerers died : When they brought a person back to life, Nature had to ''kill'' another person, in order to restore the natural balance : A life against a life... And the sorcerers knew that ; they never damaged Nature when they brought a person back to life, they just made a deal with it : They accepted to give their own life, in order to allow one person dear to them to live in their place. It's just a bargain... Nothing more.”

“But you're still here...” Dagan pointed out coldly, and his eyes were bitter, as if he actually regretted Strange's survival.

It was probably the case, in fact...

Stephen bit his lower lip, actually starting to be ill-at-ease, “I was supposed to stay dead.”

Dagan spread his arms, “Then, how do you explain that miracle?”

“I don't know.”

“Liar!” Dagan snapped, and Strange immediately defended himself with a bit more of determination, “Truly, I don't know! I don't know how I survived, I swear...”

“He's telling the truth...” Yanna intervened softly, but with so much confidence that even Dagan didn't contradict her opinion.

He just nodded, and pointed an accusing finger towards Stephen, “Then, Master Strange, your survival, no matter how it happened, corrupted Nature...” 

Then, Dagan's face changed and he raised a finger, as if the idea he just had in mind was the solution, and judging by his hateful and horrified gaze, it was not a good one, “Or... Someone else died... You survived, which means Nature had to restore its natural balance by itself as you just said, so it took another life, an innocent life you murdered, an innocent life who died in the boy's place!” 

Stephen's eyes widened in horror and his mouth dropped. It was the first time his imperturbable and unreadable mask was cracking. 

He had never thought of that, actually... What if Dagan was right? What if someone died, instead of Peter, because of him...?

Before the masters could react to this new, Wong brutally stood up and he announced loudly, almost harshly, “I demand a reunion.”

The entire room froze. Dagan glared at the librarian, “Wong...”

His voice sounded like a threat, a warning, but Wong kept his chin proudly raised as he carried on, “This is the law. When a master demands a reunion, even when we're in a trial, the reunion has to happen immediately. I wanna talk to all of you...” Wong briefly glanced at Stephen, “In private...”

Dagan was forced to obey. 

When he nodded, two sorcerers grabbed Stephen's arms, and they escorted him outside. The last thing Stephen saw before he was thrown outside was Wong's confident eyes staring at his wrist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, Wong to the rescue !:)
> 
> I need to precise Dagan will not be ''the asshole of this story'', he'll be more complex, and his relationship with Stephen (and with Peter and Tony, yes even Tony) will involve !:)
> 
> Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!:)
> 
> WIX2


	25. The Trial : Part II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! :)
> 
> Normally, I was planning to write the big reveal concerning Wong in this chapter, but I prefered to favour Stephen and Tony's conversation, so it will be in the next chapter, surely !:)
> 
> I hope you'll enjoy this chapter! 
> 
> Thanks so much for all your comments, I know it's been a while since I last answered them, so a lot of them are not answered, and I'm sorry for that!:)
> 
> Good reading! :) 
> 
> WIX2

When Stephen was finally allowed to enter again in the room, after the reunion asked by Wong between the sorcerers, all the eyes fell brutally on him.

All the masters seemed... shocked, except Wong who was discreetly smiling, in the corner of the room. 

They were looking at Stephen weirdly, a mix between surprise, curiosity, and a deep attention, as if they were trying to find a particular answer, a particular proof on Strange's face that would explain whatever they learnt.

Some of them were not seeming curious, though : Dagan, for example, looked like he just ate a sharp lemon.

When he saw Stephen, the latter stood up slowly, at the same time as the other masters, and he cleared his throat, “Master Stephen Strange, the Council has decided.”

Even his voice was less strong and firm as usual.

Stephen should have felt anxious at that announcement, but it wasn't mattering, right now. He asked immediately, without caring at all about his vulnerable voice, “Did I kill somebody?”

The silence that followed his question was suffocating, and Stephen couldn't help but count each second of it. 

Yanna pursed her lips uncomfortably, and with a sad glance, she answered, “We do not know yet the consequences of your survival.”

This didn't reassure Stephen at all, but he didn't insist. He knew she was not lying, the regret in her voice was real. 

He didn't know what was the worst, in fact.

On the one hand, the fact that he had no idea if someone actually died that day when he brought Peter back to life, was giving him the possibility of doubt.

On the other hand, having no answer at all was horrible : He was still ignorant, and he needed to know if an innocent person died, because of him.

“This is not the subject.” Dagan interrupted his anxious thoughts so rudely that Stephen flinched. 

Yanna cleared her throat, and with a cold and flat voice, she looked right into Stephen's eyes and she announced, “Master Stephen Strange, you're condemned to lose your title of Master of the Mystic Arts, as long as the Council decides it. That means you're not allowed to go to Kamar-Taj any more : Anyone who would see you there, will have to alert Council immediately, and you would suffer the consequences.”

She made a pause, waiting for a master to write on a parchment what she was saying. Stephen's heart was beating faster and faster anxiously : He was not stupid enough to hope it was over. 

Yanna carried on, “It also means, you're not allowed to intervene in the sorcerers' affairs anymore : What's happening here doesn't concern you, as long as the Council desires to keep you out of this. And thirdly, the New-York Sanctum Sanctorum will have another master.”

Stephen waited for the next punishment with the head up, but still with apprehension, but nothing else came. 

He wanted to ask if it was really finished, but this time, he managed to hold his tongue. The long silence that followed Yanna's announcement was an efficient answer to his silent question : Yes, it was just that.

He was not losing his magic.

He was not going to jail.

Two sentences piqued his interest, though : ''As long as the Council desires to keep you out of this'', and ''as long as the Council decides it''. 

Did that mean it was not a permanent punishment? Did that mean he will eventually come back?

Stephen couldn't believe it : He couldn't understand how the masters, who were ready to decide the cruel punishment suggested by Agamotto, could have changed their mind so quickly, just after a rapid reunion. 

Stephen glanced at Wong with a questioning frown, but the latter's face was as illegible as usual. 

Dagan approached Stephen, and declared coldly, “Mister Strange, you need to give your master's clothes back, pack, and leave the New-York Sanctum Sanctorum, as quickly as possible. What you're doing after that, is none of our concern.”

Dagan took in his hands Stephen's handcuffs, and when he made them disappear, Stephen didn't miss Dagan's quick glance towards his right wrist. 

///

After a few minutes of search, Wong finally found Tony's number, written on the business card the playboy has given to Stephen. 

It was not hard to find it, though, given that Strange always kept the card in question in the pocket of his robes. 

Robes Wong had now access, because Stephen gave his sorcerer's clothes back, as he was not a master of the mystic arts anymore, and he was right now packing.

Wong felt his heart ache at that statement, but he forced himself to focus on his current task : He was trying to call Tony, but this idiot was not answering.

Wong was struggling not to lose his patience and literally crush the phone with his hand when he heard Tony's wonderful voice-mail : “You know who you are calling, so I'm not gonna say ''You have reached the voice-mail box of Anthony Stark...'' just like every single moron who sadly lives on this planet. I'm just saying that if you're hearing this, it means I can't answer you, or I don't want to, which is clearly the most probable... Leave a message, or send a text message. Ciao!”

Wong didn't give up, though. 

He had to reach Tony, it was essential. The worst was he was certain Tony was available, but he was not answering just because he didn't know who it was. 

That's why the librarian tried again, again and again, and when he actually lost hope, the dry voice of Iron-Man finally answered him, “C'mon, leave a fucking message, I'm trying to sleep-”

“Stark.”

It didn't take long for Tony to recognize the person who was currently calling him, just by Wong's cold and unfriendly voice, “Wong? H-How did you get that number?”

Wong rolled his eyes at that useless question, they had bigger problems, “Stephen's trial is finished.”

Tony became suddenly anxious, and he badgered him with questions, “How the trial happened? How is Stephen?”

Wong closed his eyes briefly, “To be honest, it didn't look good, at first.”

He still had the image of all the masters, indignant, who were almost ready to beat Stephen for what he said with an insulting nonchalance. 

Deep down, Wong admired Stephen for his guts, but it was still stupid to provoke the sorcerers, especially when you're risking prison, and so much worse. 

Wong knew if he hadn't intervened, Stephen's trial would've finished with the maximum sentence... Luckily, Wong had an useful information that changed everything.

“Let me guess : Stephen told them to go to hell?” 

Tony sounded proud, and Wong resisted the urge to roll his eyes, “Yes he did, but in a more... imaged way.”

“Sounds like something Stephen would do...” Tony smiled, but a consuming worry quickly took priority over his admiration, “Did he lose his magic?”

“No.”

“That's good...” Tony sounded deeply relieved, but he was not finished with his questions, “Will he go to jail?”

“No.” 

However, Wong felt guilty to bring some negative aspects, “But he lost his title of master of the mystic arts and his title of protector of the New-York Sanctum Sanctorum, he's not allowed to live there anymore.” 

He took a deep breath, “So, right now, he's basically... homeless.”

Tony's voice was quivering with anger when he asked, “Are you kidding? These bastards didn't even give him a chamber where to sleep or something?”

Wong pursed his lips. He understood Tony's outrage : The librarian was himself ashamed to be part of the Council right now, “No... Stephen will sleep under a bridge tonight, if we don't do anything, so I was thinking... Maybe you could put Stephen up at your home for a time...”

Wong winced, waiting anxiously for the answer. 

He didn't really know what he expected, but he was surprised to state that Tony answered immediately, without any hesitation, “Of course, he can stay in my Tower as long as he wants! But why didn't Stephen call me? No offence, Wong, I like you, but Stephen's voice is more enjoyable to hear than yours...” 

Wong struggled not to smirk as he raised his eyebrows, “''More enjoyable to hear'', really?”

“Er... I-It sounded better in my head, never mind...” Hearing Tony Stark stammer was worth gold. Wong knew Tony was redder than a crimson cap, he could put money on it. 

This thought made him smile even more.

He heard Tony clear his throat, trying to pull himself together with the rest of his dignity, “Anyway, what I wanna say, is that Stephen is a grown-up boy, I think he can call me by himself if he needs help-”

Wong interrupted him, glancing quickly towards him and lowering his voice not to be heard by others, “He's a grown-up boy, but he's stupid enough not to call for help when he needs some.”

Tony brutally understood with surprise, “God, he's not aware of this call?”

“Nope, I forgot to ask his permission.” Wong admitted shamelessly. 

The two men smiled a little, but Wong quickly carried on with seriousness, “I knew Stephen would never ask for help by himself, to anyone, so I decided to do it myself.”

Tony sighed, “Because he's ashamed?”

The librarian sadly shook his head, even if Tony obviously couldn't see him, “No, he probably doesn't want to be a burden.”

“Great...” Tony rubbed his eyes with two fingers, “Why did you automatically think of me?”

“Because you have a big house, so I know you can easily put him up.” Wong lied, shrugging nonchalantly. 

Actually, there was another reason explaining his choice, but Wong couldn't say: ''I chose you, Tony, because I want you and Stephen to spend more time together...''

It would have been ridiculous. 

In fact, Wong didn't even know why he was taking Stephen and Tony's ''relationship'' very seriously, but here he was, trying to make these two idiots spend time together in the same house.

Suddenly, Wong realised there was not much time before Stephen was finished packing, so he hissed harshly, “Now, Stark, get off your butt, and come at the Sanctum! I don't want my friend to sleep in the streets, tonight!”

“Yes, Boss.” Tony rolled his eyes. 

His joke obviously didn't make Wong laugh at all, but he was used to it.

Wong grumbled coldly, “Hurry up.”

He didn't even wait for Tony's answer, because he hung up.

///

When Stephen closed the door of the New-York Sanctum Sanctorum behind his back, his bag on his shoulder, his throat was so tight that it was difficult to breathe. 

He wanted to go away proudly without another glance, but he just couldn't.

He turned around and he stayed in front of the Sanctum Sanctorum for a long time, maybe a couple of minutes, just admiring its front and imprinting this beautiful sight forever in his mind.

He didn't even know why he was so affected to lose his title of master and protector of this Sanctum. 

Actually, it could have been so much worse, he couldn't really complain : He still had his magic and his freedom, even if he couldn't explain the miracle of the sudden change of mind for the members of the Council...

Yet, this Sanctum Sanctorum, as mysterious and dangerous as it was, really became his home with time. Leaving it by force was hurting. 

He thought of the Ancient One, and with a bitter and sad laugh, he thought that if she could see him right now, she would've been so disappointed : She was actually the one who decided that he had to be the master of this Sanctum, after the last one was killed.

She gave him her trust.

And what did he do with it? He lost his title by breaking a law, and maybe, by bringing Peter back to life, he killed an innocent person. 

This statement made him sick.

Dagan was right : He was a criminal, a murderer : He deserved what was happening to him, and he didn't deserve any help. 

He deserved to be alone.

Suddenly, Tony's gentle voice resonated behind his back, making the sorcerer flinch, “Hey, Stephanie.” 

By surprise, Stephen turned around to face Tony so quickly that he almost lost his balance. 

The playboy was just in front of him, his arms nonchalantly crossed against his chest, and behind him, his elegant car was parked, with the passenger door open. 

Stephen understood : Tony wanted to put him up, in his Tower. He shook his head and took a few steps back, “No...”

Tony observed Stephen with attention, a confused frown starting to form, but he still teased, “Always so pleased to see me, I'm touched.”

Stephen's mouth was dry, “Tony, how did you know-”

Tony didn't even let him finish, “I have good undercover operatives...”

“Wong called you.”

It was not a question. 

Strange's voice was not angry, bitter and annoyed. He sounded just horrifyingly empty and flat, Tony didn't even know if it was worse or better than resentment. 

“Yes, luckily.” Tony lost his smile when his gaze stared at Stephen's bag, “So, that was your wonderful plan? Getting out of there, without a word for your friends who could... I don't know, help you, perhaps?”

Stephen lowered his eyes, “I can handle it.” 

It was so a weak and pathetic protest that Tony rolled his eyes with a mocking laugh, and he replied rudely, “Really? Where did you plan to sleep tonight? Under a bridge with a can of beer, a German shepherd, and a little cloth you'll use as a blanket?” 

As Stephen wasn't answering, Tony understood with alarm the answer was clearly a yes. 

The playboy was really starting to lose his patience, but he knew getting angry was not the solution, right now : Stephen was acting weirdly, as if he was going to break down in an instant.

Tony softened, and he moved forward a little to be closer, “Stephanie, I can't force you to come with me in my Tower and cuff you to the bed, you have the choice : Either it's the streets in the cold with no food, accompanied by drug dealers, or it's in my warm and comfortable Tower with me, the hottest man on the planet.” 

He gently winked at the end of his sentence, but Stephen's face was still gloomy. 

Not even the faintest beginning of a smile. 

“What if I refuse to come with you?” Stephen asked faintly, still looking down, but Tony gave him a soft smile, “Then, I'll have to prepare the handcuffs.”

Stephen shook his head hastily, “I... I don't want to bother you-”

Tony gently put a finger on Stephen's lips to silence him, “My Awesome Facial Hair Bro is never bothering me... I've got a big Tower, and I'm living alone, if we forget FRIDAY, you can stay as long as you want-” 

Stephen suddenly clenched his fists, moved Tony's finger away rather brutally, and he exploded, “I don't want your help!” 

Tony flinched, taken aback by this sudden rage. After all, he was just trying to help, and he wasn't really appreciating getting yelled at.

He frowned and replied rudely, “I don't let a friend live in the streets, who the hell do you think I am?!” 

Stephen glared at him and he snapped coldly, rage twisting his features, “Leave me alone!” 

He tried to walk around Tony, but the billionaire refused to let him go : He grabbed Stephen's arm so brutally that it made Stephen let go of his bag that fell on the ground, and Tony pulled him closer forcefully, “No way! Tell me what the hell is going on and why you're acting like a stupid jerk!”

Stephen struggled, but Tony didn't let go.

However, tears were beginning to burn Stephen's eyes, despite how many times he was blinking to get rid of them, “I don't deserve your help, Tony.”

His voice was not angry any more, it was weak and quivering.

His lips were beginning to tremble as well, and he was looking down. Actually, all trace of anger disappeared, giving way to a broken expression. 

Seeing Stephen on the verge of tears surprised Tony even more, and he immediately softened. This brutal emotion change proved Stephen was not fine. 

Tony was still holding firmly Stephen's arm, and he pulled him even closer, whispering gently, “What's wrong, Stephen?” 

Trying to hold back his tears and the sobs that were compressing his throat, Stephen couldn’t speak, but he couldn't run away either. He was trapped.

Tony caught gently Stephen's chin and raised it a little. Their eyes met, and suddenly, Strange couldn't resist anymore. 

It was too much.

The first tears ran on his cheeks, and the first sob broke through his lips, “I-I killed someone, Tony, when I brought Peter back to life...” 

As Tony's eyes widened, Stephen finished in a broken whisper, “I'm- I'm a murderer...”

Stephen started to sob faintly, lowering his head so that Tony wouldn't see his face. The billionaire didn't even think. 

He wrapped his arms around Stephen's body, and he held him tight against him. 

He expected Stephen to try to pull away, but what happened was the opposite : the sorcerer pressed his forehead against Tony's shoulder and he even leant against him.

Tony couldn't understand anything, but asking answers was not the moment. He gently stroked the back of Stephen's neck with his fingers, whispering some gentle reassurances into his ear, and he waited.

When Stephen calmed down a bit, Tony pulled away with a bit of force to see the sorcerer's face, but he still kept Stephen close to him, “Tell me what happened.”

And Stephen did : He told him about the past sorcerers who brought a person back to life, the deal they made with Nature to restore the natural balance, and the fact that Stephen was supposed to die, that day. 

He told him about his uncommon survival, and the fact that perhaps, someone died instead of him, but the Council didn't even had an answer about that.

When he finished, Tony frowned, “So, you don't even know if someone really died, do you?”

Stephen weakly shook his head, as he sniffled loudly. 

Tony sighed, “Listen to me, you don't know what really happened... You survived and you don't know even how, so you can't be sure of the consequences either. Maybe nobody died, stop torturing yourself...” 

As Stephen wasn't answering, Tony gently wiped away the sorcerer's tears with his thumbs, “Hey, you're shaken-up, Stephen, you can't think properly, right now. Let me take care of you.” 

The sorcerer bit his lower lip, “I'm lost, Tony...”

“I know.” Tony smiled, “And we'll find out what happened together, I promise. But right now, you need to rest, you need to relax.”

With a gentle smile, as bright as the sun above them, Tony took Stephen's bag and he held out his hand to the sorcerer, “OK, Stephanie?”

With a faint nod, Stephen took Tony's hand in his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Tony and Stephen will live together ! It's starting to be interesting !:)
> 
> Hope you liked this new chapter! We'll see what happened to Cloakie in the next chapter ! 
> 
> Peter and Cloakie will team up to find the truth about Stephen's survival. :) 
> 
> WIX2


	26. Breakfast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry, I'm sorry : I know I promised Cloak would be in this chapter, but the problem, it's that I wrote a little too much IronStrange, and I needed to stop before the chapter was too long, so I couldn't put Cloak in this one. :(
> 
> I know, I'm sorry, but it's sure now : Cloak will be in the next chapter, and Peter will also come, promise, promise ! :)
> 
> Sorry for the people who wanted to see Cloak and Peter team up now, it will be in the next chapter, and in the following one!:)
> 
> Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter!:)
> 
> WIX2

Tony puffed on his cigarette, letting the hot smoke burn his throat painfully, for a long moment. 

He was staring vacantly at the magnificent view from the balcony of his Tower. His back was leant against a wall, and he was enjoying the light of the sun that was just coming up.

He never smoked actually, but yesterday, when Stephen was crying on his shoulder, shattered and totally lost, it totally overwhelmed him, so he needed that cigarette. 

He was also holding a glass of alcohol already half-empty in his other hand, sipping it little by little.

Yesterday, when Stephen accepted to come with him, Tony literally dragged the lost sorcerer inside the car, to go to his Tower. 

When they arrived, Tony leaded him towards the closest bedroom, and he forced him to lay down on a bed, ordering him to take some sleep. 

Stephen, as stubborn as always even in such a state, protested, naturally, but in fact, Tony didn't have to insist a lot because Strange was exhausted, so he surrendered rather quickly. 

It didn't take long for Stephen to fall asleep. 

The playboy knew he wouldn't be able to close one eye that night, so most of the night, he stayed at Stephen's bedside, watching him sleep.

When he realised it was starting to become a little weird, he forced himself to leave the sorcerer and he went to his lab, trying to work a bit, until the sun came up. 

At that moment, Tony went to his balcony to get some fresh air, and here he was, smoking and drinking alone, while Stephen was resting inside Tony's own bedroom.

Tony had tried to call Wong in order to have more explanations, but the librarian wasn't answering.

It was really beginning to piss Tony off : Stephen was suffering, because he believed someone died in his place, and these bastards were staying silent, whereas Tony was sure they knew more than they were pretending.

From what Stephen explained to him yesterday, Tony understood Stephen was supposed to stay dead : When Stephen had his heart attack after he brought Peter back to life with all his personal energy, he had no energy left inside his body, so even with Tony's heart massage, Strange's body wasn't able to live by itself...

However, Tony actually saw that weird symbol Wong carved into the skin of Stephen's right wrist. 

He didn't know what it was, but he was convinced that this symbol, whatever it was, brought Stephen back to life : It was the main reason of Stephen's weird survival.

Tony had actually planned to tell Stephen about that as soon as he was seeing him, despite Wong's order to keep it secret, but Strange's emotional state prevented him from doing so. 

With a sigh, he was about to puff on his cigarette once more, but a hand coming out of nowhere (Stephen's hand, to be more precise, who was obviously awake) stole it. 

Stephen nonchalantly put Tony's cigarette out and tossed it in the trash near him, with a disgusted grimace. 

Tony spread his arms, as he planted himself in front of the sorcerer, “Hey, not cool ! It was my last one and I didn't even finish it!”

“Good.” Stephen replied nonchalantly, without any shame. 

He crossed his arms against his chest and he raised his eyebrows at Tony, probably defying the playboy to protest again. 

Tony rolled his eyes, and he moved his glass towards his lips, “God, you're funnier when you're sleeping, Stephanie...”

He didn't have the time to take a sip, because Stephen took it off Tony's hands with an annoyed sigh, and he made the glass of alcohol disappear with a simple twist of his wrist.

He turned towards Tony and shook his head, “Really, Tony? Drinking and smoking ? It's 8:00 in the morning...”

Now that Tony had nothing left, he scowled, showing his empty hands, “Thanks a lot, Mummy, what do I have left, now?”

Even if Tony seemed annoyed, he was deep down glad to see the nonchalant, daring and stubborn Stephen he knew. It meant the latter was feeling better.

Stephen calmly shrugged, “I'll make tea, it'll be more healthy.”

Before Tony could open his mouth to protest, Stephen already turned on his heel, and headed for the kitchen, forcing his friend to follow him. 

It was weird to see the sorcerer wearing normal clothes, but it wasn't really bothering Tony, considering the fact that these clothes were showing off to advantage his muscular body.

It was better than Stephen's horrible sorcerer's robes. 

“How are you feeling?” Tony asked gently, the second they both arrived to the counter. 

Stephen seemed still tired and a little gloomy, but he was more lucid and more in control of his emotions, which was a progress. 

As the latter began to prepare the tea, he didn't even asked Tony the emplacement of what he needed, as if he was living there.

Then, he took some pancakes, put them on the table, along with a few jams and maple syrup. 

“I'm feeling better, sleeping did some good.” Stephen pointed at Tony and narrowed his eyes, “And don't you say ''I told you so!''.”

“Or else you'll do what?” Tony couldn't help but smirk as he sat on a seat and leant forward a little against the counter.

Stephen kept his deadpan expression, but he didn't answer. 

He took a pancake, and he was going to give it to Tony, but the latter gently shook his head and didn't reach out to take it, “You must eat as well, Stephanie...” He pointed the pancake with his chin, “Eat it.”

“I'm not hungry.”

“Funny, that's not what I'm asking.”

The two adults glared at each other for a long time, neither of them lowering their gaze, but it was Stephen who surrendered first. 

“Who's the mummy now...?” He grumbled under his breath, but despite his protest, he still ate the pancake, chewing slowly, without appetite.

When he finished it, Stephen filled two mugs with tea with precision, and he added some weird herbs.

Tony watched him for a time in silence, completely fascinated. It should have been weird to see Stephen inside his kitchen, preparing tea in such a... domestic way, but it wasn't bothering him at all.

Tony was glad to have company, and it was feeling... normal. 

Suddenly, Tony grinned and wriggled his eyebrows playfully, “By the way, was my bed comfortable, Stephanie?”

Stephen suddenly stopped what he was doing, in favour of looking Tony in the eye with utmost horror, “I slept in... your bed?” 

He was sounding ill-at-ease : Tony was certain the doctor will blush in an instant, and it was exactly what he wanted, in fact. 

He kept his teasing grin as he nodded naturally, “Yeap.”

Stephen clenched his teeth, and his cheeks burned. Tony had to purse his lips not to smile fondly too much at that adorable sight. 

Seeing Stephen blush was perhaps his favourite moment of the day.

Strange sighed in annoyance, and he grumbled, “Couldn't you just lead me to a guest room, or was it too hard for you ?”

“Oh, I could have, but I wanted to see your face.” As the sorcerer glared at him, Tony raised his hands innocently.

“Jerk.” Stephen insulted him with an amused smile he tried, but failed, to hide, as he gave him a cup of steaming tea. 

Tony took a sip, admitted deep down that it was tasting good, but he tried not to show he liked it.

Stephen obviously saw Tony's pleased expression, because a smug smirk played on his lips, “So, when will you ask how did I do to make such an amazing tea?”

Tony grinned, knowing perfectly that was exactly the same question he asked, when he offered Stephen a coffee the latter drunk when he came here for the first time, “I won't answer that, and I'm gonna subtly change the subject ; I'll give you a guest room after the breakfast.”

Stephen took his own mug in his hands, and he ordered dryly, deadly serious, “Please, give me the guest room as far away from your bedroom as possible.”

Tony chuckled, “That's rude.”

“I said ''please''.”

Tony smiled, “After the breakfast, I can make you visit my Tower, if you want.”

Stephen chuckled briefly, as he finally sat on a seat in front of Tony and took a quick sip of his drink, “So that you can show-off?”

Iron-Man winked, “You know me so well, my Awesome Facial Hair Bro.”

With a tiny smile, Stephen stared at his surroundings, as if it was the first time he was discovering them, “I admit your Tower, or at least, what I've seen so far, is... kinda cool.”

Tony raised his eyebrows, as he ate a huge pancake without any class, “You only notice that now?”

Stephen's gaze was teasing when he answered, “Well, the first time I went there, I needed to take care of an idiot who was bleeding to death on his couch, so I couldn't really enjoy the scenery...”

Tony pretended to think, “I don't know who you're talking about, but this guy sounds like a brave and noble person...”

Stephen ignored his remark and he continued, “Then, when I came back for the second time, it was for Cloak, and-” He suddenly stopped himself, lowering his gaze as he lost his smile. 

Tony frowned sadly, “They took Cloak away from you, is that it?”

He managed to guess it just by looking at Stephen's grave expression, and of course, because the familiar red relic wasn't around. 

The sorcerer sighed sadly, “Cloak couldn't be at the trial with me, and... As I'm not a master of the mystic arts anymore, I guess I can't have in my possession a magical relic.” Stephen's jaw clenched, “I don't even know where it is, now, if it's OK, if it's well-treated-”

Stephen stopped, not trusting his voice to continue.

Before Tony could even comment, the sorcerer rubbed violently his face with both of his hands, “Sorry, it's stupid, but it's hard to be without it... Cloak and I, we're... linked : We share a specific bond, it will always exist, as long as we both live.” 

Stephen was afraid of sounding totally ridiculous, but there was no mockery at all in Tony's eyes. The latter nodded, he didn't pretend to understand, but he didn't judge either, “How did you even get this relic?”

Stephen smiled a little, “I didn't get it, it chose me: In fact, I'm its ''Master'', but Cloak itself prefer the term ''Chosen'', to identify me.”

Tony looked really curious, “What does that mean?”

“It means that, when a relic chooses a master, it has one job ; Protect its Master, at all cost. I imagine it's even harder for it to be away from me, because... As it's away, I'm sure it believes it didn't do its duty well.”

The two men shared a long silence, both totally lost in their thoughts while they continued to eat their breakfast, and Tony decided it was time. 

He cleared his throat, “Stephen...”

Stephen looked up with surprise, and maybe, with just a bit of apprehension, “Oh god, when you're saying my real name, I know it's gonna be a bad news.”

Tony didn't smile, “I saw what happened to you, that day, I saw how you survived.” As Stephen's eyes widened, the playboy felt he had to clarify, “I... I wanted to tell you before, but you...”

He stopped, not wanting Stephen to take offence. He knew reminding a moment of weakness could hurt, but the doctor didn't seem to mind, “What did you see?”

“When you were...” Tony swallowed, “...dead, Wong drew a weird symbol on your right wrist, I don't know what it was, I can't even reproduce it on a piece of paper... After, the symbol was carved on your skin, it produced a white flash, and... Your heart was beating again. That symbol, or whatever it did, brought you back to life...”

Stephen was thinking, trying to remember if during his lecture, he read something that could match with what Tony was saying, but he found nothing. 

However, he was sure of one thing, “That's what Wong told them, during the reunion...”

Tony frowned, confused, “What reunion?”

Strange explained, “Wong stopped my trial : He wanted to talk in private with all the masters. Before the reunion, they were all ready to remove my magic from me and send me to jail. They didn't say it precisely, that's true, but the way they were looking at me...”

He saw Tony's jaw clench in anger, but the latter didn't comment.

Stephen carried on, “Then, after the reunion, they suddenly changed their attitude and they changed the punishment: I kept my magic, and I'm still free.”

“Wong knows how you survived.” Tony guessed darkly, “And so does the Council, but they're not saying anything...”

Stephen nodded, and finally, his usual strong determination was shining in his blue eyes, “Then... Maybe, we need to find the information by ourselves...”

Tony grinned from ear to ear.

That was the Stephen he loved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, hope you enjoyed!:)
> 
> Next Chapter : Cloak's point of view and Peter will join his two dads !:)
> 
> WIX2


	27. Mistakes

Peter couldn't even count how many times he checked his phone, waiting for a call or just a text message from Stephen to appear on his screen, in vain.

He couldn't even know either how long he paced back and forth in his bedroom, biting his nails until they were bleeding, trying to distract his worried brain by building something at random or watching TV. 

When it was dark outside, he tried to get some sleep, but he couldn't sleep a wink, so he just spent the night staring at the ceiling, trying not to think too much of Stephen and the latter's trial.

He hasn't received any news from Stephen or even from Tony since the beginning of the trial. He was totally ignorant since yesterday : He didn't know if the trial was finished, and if it did end, what was the punishment... 

When he was trying to call Stephen or Tony, they were not answering, and it was making him even more nervous and worried. 

He even thought of going to Tony's tower, hoping to find the playboy in order to have more explanation, but Aunt May refused. She wanted him to rest and stay at home. 

Lost in his thoughts, he didn't even notice the sun was slowly coming-up. He stared with sadness at his window that showed it was the morning.

Still no news, and the trial was yesterday...

He sighed as he rubbed his tired eyes, swallowing to humidify his dry throat. Aunt May was not at home, she was working, so Peter planned to go to Tony's Tower, this time.

He couldn't just stay in his bedroom and do nothing. Yes, he was disobeying, but he couldn't care less. 

He got up quickly with determination, as he took his pants off, wanting to take a shower before going.

Suddenly, his window was smashed to pieces from the outside.

Peter yelped loudly and he jumped with fright. By reflex, he took the blanket of his bed to hide his naked body, but he was still ready to confront whatever was coming, despite his position.

He thought it was going to be an enemy, but to his surprise, it was just Cloak that broke his window. 

It entered calmly in his bedroom.

“Cloakie?!” Peter screamed in surprise, as his cheeks were burning, “What the hell?!”

Almost panicked, he was holding strongly his blanket onto him, to hide his private parts, but Cloak didn't seem concerned at all : It was floating in front of him peacefully. 

The kid had the feeling Cloak was... looking at him boringly, waiting for him to calm down. It had the same collected and jaded behaviour as Stephen.

When he thought of the sorcerer, his worry took over, and he stammered anxiously, “W-Where is Stephen? Why are you alone?” 

As the relic was not reacting at all, Peter groaned and decided to change the subject, “Cloakie, I really like you, and I admit it was a... cool dramatic entrance, you must have taken that from Stephen...” 

Realising he was talking too much, he cleared his throat and pointed at his broken window, “But what you've done is... breaking and entering, it's illegal.” 

The collar of the relic slowly lowered, as if it was ashamed and was trying to apologize. 

Peter tried to sound indignant, “And you can't come in my bedroom whatever you want, this isn't a hotel here, my bedroom is private...!”

Suddenly, the red relic charged at the kid, wrapped itself around his forearm and it pulled violently on it to make him move towards the door. 

Peter didn't resist, but he did protest when Cloak was so brutal that it almost made him fall and let go of his blanket, “Wow! Easy, what do you want?” 

The Cloak's collar made a weird movement, like a... hand gesture towards the door, and Peter understood, “You... You want me to follow you?” 

The collar nodded. 

Peter pursed his lips, but he didn't hesitate : He trusted Cloak, and it was perhaps about Stephen, “OK, I'm coming...”

Cloak flew towards the door, and managed to open it. Peter noticed the relic was flying weirdly, it was not as fluid as before. Maybe the Cloak got injured when it broke the window... ?

Peter reached out, “Wait!” 

The relic stopped. 

“Are you OK? Are you... Injured?” Peter frowned, trying to find out what was wrong, but Cloak didn't seem damaged.

As if it was irritated, Cloak's collar moved dryly, with the same weird ''hand gesture'' movement.

“OK, OK...” 

If Peter was going out, he needed to get dressed. He glanced at the blanket he was still holding on him, and he pointed at Cloak without any charisma, twisting his wrist, “Could you... er... Could you turn around?” 

He was certain he was as red as Cloak. 

The relic didn't seem to understand, it was not moving. Peter rolled his eyes, and he tried to explain, “Maybe it's hard for an old magical Cloak to understand, but I'm... modest. I don't really want you to see my...” 

He paused, and ended up ordering dryly, “Just, turn around... !”

By some miracle, the relic understood, and it... seemed to turn around.

“Thanks.” Peter whispered, ill-at-ease, as he started to get dressed as quickly as possible, not without glancing at Cloak a few times to check if it was not looking.

It was so ridiculous...

Now that he was dressed and ready to go, he threw away his blanket. He glanced at his broken window he will have to fix, closed the shutters, and he turned towards Cloak.

He nodded with determination, “OK, I'm following.”

///

Just after they finished their breakfast, Tony gave Stephen a guest room, and he let the sorcerer alone for a time, so that the latter could get used to his new surroundings.

Stephen was unpacking, putting his clothes in a closet, and he was trying not to think about the fact that he was now living with Tony in his Tower

It should have been embarrassing to know that they were now... room-mates. Yet, he didn't know why, but it was not bothering him in the least : He was even... glad to be with the playboy.

He was grateful Tony has been insistent and almost ''forced'' him to come in his Tower with him, instead of letting him go. 

Without him, Stephen would've been alone in the streets, he would've probably already killed himself. 

Of course, he was still feeling bad, concerning the person he maybe killed, he couldn't really stop thinking of it, but being with Tony in a stable environment, was helping him.

He could stay lucid.

It also felt good to have a friend he could count on: Stephen has always been alone, for most of his life, so it was a... nice change.

Suddenly, Tony opened the door of the guest room without even knocking, and he entered. Stephen stopped unpacking, and he rolled his eyes at Tony's brutal entrance, “Oh please, Tony, make yourself at home...”

“I'm home.” Tony shrugged nonchalantly, a smug smirk playing on his lips as he approached the sorcerer. 

Stephen crossed his arms against his chest, maybe a little childishly, “Yes, but you're in MY bedroom, genius...”

Tony smiled, “Stephanie, I hate to break it to you, but it's the guest room of MY Tower...” 

“I live here now...” Stephen clarified proudly, raising his chin, “It's my Tower too...”

Tony chuckled and he wriggled his eyebrows, making quote marks with his fingers, “''Everything that is yours is mine'', is that it?”

Stephen winced, and he hated himself for blushing like he just did. It was sounding... romantic. 

Before he could reply, Tony held his nose nervously, and he asked gently, “How are you feeling?”

Stephen was touched, it was the second time Tony asked him this question with so much worry in fact, but he couldn't help but roll his eyes : They just finished the breakfast a few minutes ago, nothing really changed...

“You just came to ask me that?”

Tony seemed uncomfortable, and he pursed his lips, “I just wanna know if you're alright.” 

He couldn't admit that, seeing Stephen in tears yesterday really hurt him. Consequently, Tony had a surge of tenderness, he wanted to be protective towards the doctor. 

Stephen raised his eyebrows, “Don't worry, Tony, I haven't planned to throw myself off the balcony yet.”

He admitted it was a bit too sarcastic. Stephen winced as an apology, but Tony's face stayed serious and rather worried, “You would tell me, right? If you're really not fine...”

The doctor rolled his eyes bitterly, “''I'm really not fine'', happy?” 

Even if he wanted to sound sarcastic, there was a bitter honesty in his tone only Tony could have noticed. 

Tony slowly approached the bed in the centre of the room in order to sit on it. Seeing Tony that serious made Stephen soften, but he didn't move. 

Tony tapped on the bed near him, wanting Stephen to sit down next to him.

Stephen rolled his eyes, he knew what that meant : The playboy wanted them to talk, “Tony : I don't have the time for pep-talk.”

Tony raised coldly an eyebrow, “Yes, you have, you just don't want to.”

“What a genius you are.”

“You need to talk.” Tony spread his arms stubbornly and he crossed his legs, “I'm not leaving until you come here and talk to me... And trust me, I can be reeeeally annoying.”

Stephen couldn't help but let out a brief chuckle, “I already know that...” 

They shared stubbornly a long silence, but eventually, Stephen sighed and sat on the bed so close to Tony that their shoulders brushed. 

Stephen stared at his hands nervously, “I...” He swallowed, “Of course, I want to know what happened when I brought the kid back to life.”

“And we will know.” Tony clarified. 

“I know we will, it's just...” Stephen pursed his lips, “I'm scared to know.” 

That was a first, for Stephen, to admit his fears to Tony without being bothered by it : It didn't matter if he was sounding vulnerable and weak. He needed a ready ear, and Tony understood it.

Stephen had the courage to look at Tony in the eye when he carried on, “What if someone died in my place? I already killed once, and it was one of the worst things that ever happened to me... I can't live that again.”

He thought anxiously Tony was going to react with surprise and maybe with disgust knowing he already murdered someone. 

However, the playboy's face was as nonchalant as before, “Let me guess : You killed a man in self-defence, and you're stupid enough to feel guilty about it, even today.”

Stephen smiled sadly a little, “You guessed well.”

Tony shrugged, “I just know you're too good to kill a person willingly and take pleasure in doing it, so it had to be self-defence...”

The sorcerer let out a laugh, but he didn't sound amused at all. It was a broken laugh, closer to a sob than a real laugh, “It doesn't make any difference if it was self-defence or not, Tony... I'm still a killer.”

The playboy calmly shook his head, “No, you're not.” 

As Stephen glanced at him with raised eyebrows, Tony continued firmly, “Stephanie, a killer is someone who spends his time murdering because he likes it, because he wants it... It's not your case. I know the result is the same, technically : Someone's still dead, but believe me, there is a difference between taking a life in self-defence, and killing in cold blood, and this difference is more important than you think.”

“OK, let's imagine you're right about that-”

“I'm right.” Tony corrected him with a playful grin. Stephen ignored his remark and he continued, “I maybe killed someone else when I brought Peter back to life, an innocent person who wasn't trying to kill me...”

Before Tony could contradict him, Stephen rubbed his face and he continued, “I was a doctor, Tony. I've always wanted to become one... Well, after my sister's death, my ideals in medicine changed, and I became that... cold and selfish neurosurgeon who couldn't care less about his patients as long as he had his money... But despite that, I swore an Oath to cause no harm, but I did... And actually, maybe I did it twice.” 

Stephen shook his head as he finished, “I just... I don't know if I can recover from that if it appears I killed again.”

Tony was staring at him in silence, obviously thinking about what to say next to appease the sorcerer. 

However, he decided to let his heart talk, “I know that feeling : You think that what happened to you is too awful, you think it's impossible to recover from this... But it's just a feeling, not the reality : If you actually killed someone that day, you will recover from it, Stephanie.”

As Stephen looked not convinced at all, Tony decided to give an example, pointing at himself, “I thought I was never going to recover from some shits, and here I am, still alive and still standing...”

“Like what?” Stephen asked with curiosity, but when he saw Tony's sullen expression, the doctor raised his hands, “Don't answer if you don't want to.”

Tony closed briefly his eyes, but he actually decided to open up, “Obadiah Stane... What do you know about him?”

It was even hard to pronounce his name. The betrayal was still hurting, despite all these years. Well, perhaps the reason it was still hurting was because Tony never really talked about it to anyone. 

He's always buried this suffering inside him, waiting for it to disappear. However, it never vanished, and shutting down was making this betrayal even worse. That's why he was here, making Stephen open up. 

He didn't want his friend to make the same mistake.

Stephen blinked, “I know he was one of your business partners, a good friend of yours, he died in an explosion...”

Tony smiled bitterly, “He was supposed to be my friend... I trusted him, I thought he was on my side.” 

His jaw clenched, and he avoided Stephen's gaze, “But it appeared he just wanted to be the CEO of Stark Industries, so he had to get rid of me... He's the one who paid the Ten Rings to kill me in Afghanistan, he's the one who organised my capture back there...” 

He saw Stephen's features twist, whatever it was because of surprise, horror or anger, Tony couldn't tell, “He almost succeeded in killing me, Stephen... I only survived the explosion in Afghanistan because Yins-” 

Tony stopped, he couldn't say his name, it was too hard, “... Because a man saved me, by taking most of the shrapnel out of my heart and fitting an electro-magnet powered by a car battery to prevent the rest from penetrating my heart.”

“It was your Arc Reactor, right?” Stephen guessed calmly, almost shyly. He knew briefly how the Iron-Man suit was built.

Tony nodded, “Yeah, it was keeping me alive. Not long ago, I've had an operation, so I don't need an Arc Reactor to live anymore... This...” He pointed at his new bright arc reactor on his chest, “It's detachable, I don't need it to maintain me alive like the old one.” 

The playboy cleared his throat, “Anyway, when I came back, Stane needed to find another solution to kill me. One night, when I was alone, he came in my Tower, he used a Sonic Taser to paralyse me, and he...” He swallowed, “He ripped my Arc Reactor from my chest... He left me alone, dying from a heart attack.”

Stephen was frowning with disgust, “This is why you have trust issues...” 

Tony just nodded, not trusting his voice to confirm aloud. He couldn't add that Steve's betrayal about his parents' death didn't help to ease his paranoia. 

He sighed for a long time, and he continued when he was sure his voice was solid again, “But with time, I managed to recover from this betrayal, I'm not saying it's forgotten, I'm still distrustful as you could see, but at least I'm still here...” 

He paused for a second, “But it was hard to recover, harder than it should have been.”

“Why?” 

“Because I shut down, I kept that for myself, I never talked about that to anyone.”

Before Stephen could react, Tony continued, "Stephen, whatever we learn, I want you to know that I'll always be by your side... I'm not gonna lie, if you killed someone when you brought Peter back to life, it will be hard to live with that, but it'll be harder if you shut down like I did...” 

Tony put his hand on the sorcerer's shoulder and squeezed it gently, “You'll need people around you, and you have the chance to have those people, so don't push them away, OK?”

Stephen looked at him with sadness, “That's what you do now, isn't it? You try to convince people not to do your mistakes.” 

Stephen was mainly thinking of Peter: Tony was keeping an eye on him because he cared about him, of course, but also because he wanted the kid not to do the same mistakes, not to take some dark paths Tony himself took. 

Tony pointed at him with a teasing smile, “You didn't answer, Stephanie... OK?”

The sorcerer smiled a little, and he whispered with a nod, “OK...” 

With a wink, Tony raised his hand, “High five?”

“No.”

Tony made his best puppy eyes, and he didn't move. Stephen rolled his eyes with a groan, but he did give Tony a quick and shy high five. 

At the same time, Tony laughed freely.

“I hate you.” Stephen mumbled, but finally, the smile that played on his lips reached his eyes. 

After their talk, the two adults went to Tony's bedroom, to see if there were still some of Stephen's belongings back there as the latter slept here last night, and because the sorcerer wanted to make the bed.

As he was making the bed with the help of Tony, the front door of the Tower suddenly opened, making the two adults flinch. 

Why FRIDAY didn't warn them someone was coming?

Before they could get out of the chamber to see who was the surprised guest, Peter appeared and entered inside Tony's bedroom, “Hey Tony, why are you not answering when I'm calli-” 

He stopped brutally when he saw Stephen in Tony's bedroom, making the bed together. Thanks to his competent eyes, he noticed that Stephen, under his jacket, was wearing his pyjamas.

Did he sleep here, in Tony's bed...?

Did Peter miss something...?

“Er...” The kid stammered, a few weird thoughts invading his mind as he raised a finger and blushed, “It's awkward.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!:)
> 
> Yes, Cloak is indeed injured, we'll find out what happened to it in the next chapter, but don't worry, it'll be fine, it'll be reunited with its Chosen!:)
> 
> In the next chapter, we'll also see Peter, Tony, Stephen (And Cloak) talk, and they'll try to find out how they could find what the Council hides from them!:)
> 
> Thanks a lot for reading and for all your support!:)
> 
> WIX2


	28. The Beginning of a Plan

When Peter arrived and saw them together in Tony's bedroom, Stephen and Tony immediately gave him an explanation, explaining why Stephen was now living in the Stark Tower. 

They told him what happened during the sorcerer's trial, the fact that Stephen was now homeless and banished from Kamar-Taj.

What's more, they decided to tell him that Stephen maybe killed someone, when he brought Peter back to life.

They told him the story of the weird symbol drawn on Stephen's wrist, and they revealed as well they wanted to find the answers hidden by the Council to understand what happened. 

When Peter knew everything and was about to offer his help, Stephen suddenly asked him why Cloak wasn't showing itself. 

He knew it was there, whereas he didn't even see it and didn't even know it joined Peter earlier today. Peter was impressed to see that Stephen just... felt Cloak's presence inside the Tower.

Cloak revealed itself rather shyly, entering slowly inside the bedroom, as if it was fearing its Chosen's reaction.

Indeed, Cloak wasn't supposed to be there, it had to be away from its Chosen. 

Stephen warmly spread his arms with a wink, to show he wasn't mad at it, and Cloak flew towards him quickly. It wrapped itself around him tightly like a hug, and Stephen's fingers gently stroke the relic.

Peter and Tony couldn't help but smile fondly at that cute sight. They shared a glance, and they decided to give them the privacy they deserved, by going to the kitchen.

They didn't stay alone for a long time: They just had the time to take their first sip of their cup of tea they prepared, and then Stephen joined them like a whirlwind with Cloak and he forced it to lay down on a table.

When Tony and Peter gave him a questioning look with a confused frown, Stephen revealed darkly, almost red in anger, “Cloak is injured.”

Peter's heart ached. That's why Cloak was flying weirdly...

As Tony and Peter got up at the same time to join the pair, Stephen was moving his hand just above the relic. When his fingers twitched, Stephen knew he detected Cloak's injury, and the wound appeared more clearly, “Did you do that by yourself?”

The collar didn't nod. 

“Who did this to you, then ?” Stephen asked Cloak coldly.

Now that Stephen had the emplacement of the injury, Peter and Tony could see it. It wasn't a human or normal wound, but it was seeming vaguely like a cut.

A rather large cut, though.

Cloak was still not answering. Stephen sent it a stern look, but he didn't insist, “You don't want to tell me ? Fine, I'll ask you later.” 

While Stephen was auscultating Cloak and was healing its weird magical cut, Cloak's collar was trying to stroke Stephen's cheeks, maybe to appease his anger the relic was receiving from its Chosen, or maybe to just appease him full stop, “Stop doing that, I'm trying to cure you.” 

Cloak didn't stop, despite Stephen's annoyed tone, which made the sorcerer smile a little, “OK, I calm down, I'm relaxed, stop moving now.” The red relic stopped, and let itself being healed docilely.

“Where was it during all this time?” Tony asked, and Stephen didn't even look up, “They probably sent it back inside the display case of the New-York Sanctum where I first met it. They probably injured it by accident, because it was struggling.” Stephen's jaw clenched in anger.

Peter winced. It must have been horrible for Cloak, to be locked up without its Chosen near it, alone. It was really torture, when we were thinking about it.

When Stephen finished, Cloak flew happily towards its Chosen, and it went back onto his shoulders.

“Now that Cloakie's here, they will find out Cloakie is gone, and Grumpy... You'll be in trouble...” Peter realised worryingly, but Stephen stayed calm and he glanced at Cloak behind him, “Did you split?”

The collar nodded proudly, and Tony rolled his eyes, “Of course, the blanket can make magic as well.”

Stephen shrugged, “I just taught it some spells, like knowing how to split, make a copy of itself, repair some stuffs...” 

He was talking as if it was perfectly normal and common, but he was mostly sounding proud. Peter intervened, “Wait, Cloakie can repair things, like... broken window panes, for example?”

Stephen nodded, “Yes, that's why nobody will notice Cloak's gone for now : It broke the glass to get out, made a copy of itself inside and repaired it...”

Peter crossed his arms against his chest, and he frowned at Cloak, “Cloakie... Was it too much for you just to... repair my window you've broken?”

The Cloak's collar lowered, and Stephen raised an eyebrow, “Cloak broke your window?” 

“Never mind..." Tony pointed at the table where Cloak was healed, "I didn't know you were a sugar daddy, Stephanie...” He teased lightly, wriggling his eyebrows when Stephen sent him an annoyed glance. 

Deep down, Tony liked this softer side, in Stephen. It was making him more human, and it was showing his good sides that were sadly not very evident, most of the time. 

Stephen smirked at him, “Jealous, Tony?” 

“Not in the least.” 

Peter blinked, watching Stephen and Tony's banter. With a pleased smile, Peter noticed that when these two were together, they were forgetting that others were there too, in the same room. They were only paying attention to each other.

He cleared his throat, trying to draw their attention, and he looked at Tony, “So... Grumpy is your roomie now?”

He couldn't remove the ridiculous happiness from his tone.

Stephen seemed annoyed but he was in fact mostly embarrassed by this reminder, “C'mon, that's the only thing you remember from our last conversation, kid?”

Peter didn't get offended by Stephen's rude tone, he was used to it. He smiled peacefully, “Nope, Grumpy... I also remember you slept in Tony's bed, last night.”

This time, Stephen's cheeks became red and he muttered under his breath something inaudible as he lowered his head. 

Tony had to hide his smile by drinking a bit of his cup. Peter grinned as he asked the playboy, “Did he sleep well?”

Tony nodded with a wink, “Like a baby.”

Peter almost choked with his tea as he burst out laughing, rapidly joined by Tony while Stephen was rolling his eyes. 

It felt good to finally live a relaxing moment with these two. Indeed, since Peter's death, the kid had the impression that it's been ages since they just enjoyed a funny and relaxed moment as before.

Stephen pretended to be angry, glaring at Peter and clenching his fists, “Attacking a minor, how many years in prison does this represent, again?”

Peter raised his hands on each side of himself, but his amused smile was still on his lips, “OK, relax Grumpy, I'll stop...” 

Tony brutally clapped, bringing them back to reality, “OK, let's have an intelligent conversation, even if it's hard, shall we? Where can we find the informations the Council doesn't want us to know?”

Stephen didn't even think about it, “Kamar-Taj's library.”

Tony closed briefly his eyes in frustration, and he rubbed them, sighing for a long time, “Where you can't go? That's great, Stephanie, thanks.”

Stephen glared at the playboy and frowned, “You asked me what was the only place where we could have answers, I answered.”

Tony shook his head, “No, I didn't ask a stupid and impossible answer, I asked a possible ans-”

Peter suddenly interrupted them, “I have an idea.”

The two adults both turned towards the kid with a surprised expression, but when Stephen's gaze met Peter's, Stephen's face became stern and he shook his head firmly, “No, no way.”

Peter rolled his eyes, and he protested, spreading his arms, “I didn't even finish!”

Stephen approached the kid until he was close enough, and Peter had to raise his head to look at him in the eye. Peter tried to stay self-assured, but he couldn't help but shrink a little under Stephen's stern and intimidated gaze. 

Stephen pointed a finger at him with a displeased frown, “Yes, but I know what you're going to say, and it's no.”

Tony seemed confused, “Hey, could you be kind and explain to me?”

“Oh, yeah...” Stephen hissed while he crossed his arms against his chest, and he never took his eyes off the kid, “Stupid kid, explain to Tony what your wonderful plan is, he's too slow to understand it by himself.”

Peter was about to explain what his plan was, but Tony pre-empted his intervention, and he narrowed his eyes at Stephen, “Hey, Stephanie, you know what? Go fuck yourself.”

Peter raised a finger, “Er, I'm still here, could you listen to me?”

Tony cleared his throat, and he turned his attention towards the kid, “Sorry, kid. Go ahead.”

Peter took a deep breath. He tried to keep his voice solid, but he ended up stammering, “OK... I was thinking, and... You know, I was just thinking... Er, it's just an idea that crossed my mind, you know, it's just the... beginning of a plan, it's not finished, I have to... perfect it!” 

The two adults were looking at him boringly, and Peter knew he was talking too much, “Anyway, I'll get to the point-”

“Yes, please...” Tony teased with a smile, and the kid carried on a little more firmly, “I was thinking, maybe someone needs to go in Kamar-Taj's library, and tries to find the books that could... help us.”

“Who's this ''someone'' you're thinking of...?” Tony raised an eyebrow, obviously knowing the kid was thinking of himself, but the playboy didn't seem as categorical as Stephen next to him.

Peter rubbed the back of his head, and he shrugged to appear nonchalant and self-assured, “I don't know, maybe the ideal person who could go to Kamar-Taj's library and go unnoticed can be an agile, fast and clever masked boy who's an expert in infiltration-”

Tony interrupted him with a mocking chuckle, “I wouldn't call you an expect...”

Peter smirked, and he exclaimed, “Oh, Tony, you're thinking of me? I agree!”

Tony smiled, but Stephen still shook his head. Peter almost pulled his hair out, Stephen will be the most difficult to convince...

“It's too dangerous, stupid kid. Kamar-Taj's library is constantly kept under surveillance by Wong or other librarians...” Strange objected rather calmly, but he looked like he would never change his mind.

“I will find a diversion.” Peter replied, and he found another argument, “And I wouldn't be alone... I could be with Cloak, it'll help me to find the book!” 

The red relic seemed delighted by this suggestion, and Peter winked at it with a grateful grin. He was happy to receive some support.

Tony raised his eyebrows, “That's your wonderful plan, kid? Just go there with a blanket, and improvise?”

Cloak's collar tensed, and Stephen tried to suppress his smile, “I think you offended it, Tony...”

Tony just groaned and rolled his eyes, he had too much pride to apologize. Peter pointed at Tony and he defended himself, “In my defence Tony, you made worse plans than mine-” 

Tony interrupted him firmly, “Yes, and it never ended well...” 

Peter seemed frustrated, “C'mon, I can do it!”

Stephen didn't seem convinced in the least, “I don't want you to risk your life for me.”

Peter scowled, crossing his arms against his chest stubbornly to show he was sulking, “Yes, as if you never risked your life for me...”

“It's not the same thing, stupid kid.”

Peter frowned with irritation and he couldn't help but raise a little his voice when he replied, “Why? Because you're an adult and I'm a child?”

Stephen stayed calm, and he shook his head, showing it was not that at all. Stephen never underestimated the kid's capacities, “I don't want you to go there because it's just too dangerous.”

The teenager rolled his eyes. Of course he understood Stephen's reluctance, and deep down he wasn't really bothered by Stephen's obstinate refusal. 

The latter was acting like a father, a father worried about his son who was running towards danger. Peter never really got a stern authority, only with Tony, recently.

However, in Peter's opinion, the sorcerer was still exaggerating, “Do you hear yourself, Grumpy? I'm not suggesting to go to a war zone or to a Mafia’s hideout, just in the Kamar-Taj's library for a few minutes.”

“I don't see any difference.” Tony muttered, but loud enough so that everyone could hear this comment.

Stephen and Peter totally ignored his remark, and the doctor replied, “It's still no, you'll be catch in the act, and who knows what would happen to you...”

Peter was a little hurt, he couldn't hide it, “Wow, it's good to know you trust me to that degree, Grumpy...”

“I trust you, stupid kid, but you can't go there!” Stephen noticed he started to raise his voice, and he forced himself to soften a little, he didn't want to argue, “Kid, if you're caught-”

Peter groaned angrily, “I won't be!”

Stephen forgot about softening, “You don't know that!”

“Neither do you!”

Embarrassed, Tony cleared his throat discreetly, “Hey guys, your little quarrel is quite entertaining to watch, but let's have an intelligent conversation, OK?” 

Peter and Stephen fell silent, and they both calmed down, sharing an apologetic glance and a shy smile. Now that they were reconciled, Tony sighed and decided to tell his own opinion, “Kid, I agree with Stephanie.”

Stephen's eyes widened, “Wow, I should have recorded you...”

“OK...” Peter's jaw clenched in disappointment, but he didn't give up, “Do you want to know the truth or not? Because we have to take some risks here, if we want to know.” 

The two adults didn't say anything, letting the kid continue, “Look, I know it's not the best option, but it's the only option we have... Grumpy, you can't go back there, otherwise you'll actually go to jail this time, and Tony, you're just too noisy...”

“Repeat?” Tony pointed a threatening finger at the kid, who hastened to correct himself anxiously, “OK, OK, forget it, I didn't say that, I was wrong! Anyway, Cloak will be with me, everything's gonna be fine, I won't be discovered...”

There was a long silence between the three superheroes. Peter could see in Tony's eyes the latter was starting to consider accepting Peter's plan, but Stephen's face was still closed. 

Peter sighed sadly, and he went towards Stephen, smiling gently, “Grumpy, you saved my life... Let me repay you.”

Stephen shook his head dryly and his body was tensed, but his gaze was tender, “I don't want you to repay me, stupid kid... I'm not sure-”

Peter interrupted him with a playful grin, “Grumpy, if you accept, I'll bring you chocolate croissants and crescent moons here every morning for two weeks.”

Tony raised his hand with a brief chuckle, “OK, I agree!”

“Only for Grumpy...” Peter clarified, winking at Tony, who made a face. The kid turned his attention to Stephen, and he did his best puppy eyes, "Please, please, please..."

Stephen was struggling not to smile, “You know you're playing with my emotions, kid?”

Peter's eyes widened hopefully, “That's a yes?”

Stephen was irritated, but it was not towards the teenager. He was just mad at himself because he was slowly starting to accept the kid's plan. He raised a authoritarian finger and he ordered rudely, “The second you feel or see something weird, you get out of there, you run as if your life depends on it, understood!?”

A bright smile lit up Peter's face, and he exclaimed happily as he hugged Stephen tightly, “Oh Grumpy, you're the best of the best of the best!”

As Stephen rolled his eyes, Peter let him go and Cloak went away from his shoulders, to face its Chosen. 

The sorcerer moved his head fowards and he whispered softly, so that only his relic could hear, “Do you have a plan?” 

Cloak's collar nodded, and Stephen sighed. His relic was intelligent, he couldn't deny that. Even if the kid's plan was really risky for Peter himself and for Stephen as well, he was reassured to see Cloak confident and organised, “Alright, protect my stupid kid.”

Another firm nod. Then, the relic flew towards Peter, wrapped itself slowly around his neck, and formed a scarf.

“Wow, so cool!” Peter said, really filled with wonder, but he suddenly lost his delight and winced, “Er... Hey, I trust Cloakie, but... Are you sure it's not going to strangle me, Grumpy?”

Stephen smiled, “Normally it won't if you're not too annoying, but be careful what you say, kid, we never know...” 

To prevent himself from smiling, Peter stuck out his tongue, but he was glad to see the sacarstic Stephen he knew again. 

Peter clapped with a joyful smile, and he pointed at Tony and Stephen, “While I'm gone, you two can... I don't know, go to the restaurant, go to the swimming-pool, walk in a park, no...?” 

He tried not to sound too excited, but he failed.

As he saw their horrified expression, the kid chuckled, “It was just a suggestion, relax... You can also stay here, waiting for a phone call from sorcerers who kidnapped me because they want a ransom...”

Stephen glared at him, obviously not amused at all, “That's not funny, stupid kid!”

“Okay, I'll shut up.” Then, Peter glanced at Cloak around his neck, and he winked at it, “Ready, Cloakie?”

The relic vibrated with excitement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, sorry it took so long!:)
> 
> Yes, Cloakie has a plan, and it'll protect Peter. In the next chapter, we'll see these two team up in Kamar-Taj to go unnoticed, and we'll also see Stephen and Tony... :)
> 
> Hope you enjoyed, thanks for all your kind comments, you're the best!:)
> 
> WIX2


	29. Kamar-Taj's Library

“You see, Stephanie, that's how you make edible pasta.” Tony teased, sending him a mocking grin as he showed his plate of spaghetti the waiter brought him a few seconds ago.

Stephen stopped wrapping his own spaghetti around his fork, in favour of glaring at Tony, “Choke on your ''edible pasta''.” He whispered it, so that the other people who were eating in the same restaurant couldn't hear him. 

Tony burst out laughing, being surely the only person who could find this remark funny, “You don't want that Stephanie, otherwise you would lose your Awesome Facial Hair Bro...”

As Tony shoved in his mouth some spaghetti with a wink, Stephen rolled his eyes and he purred with sarcasm , “What a tragedy it would be...”

Tony peacefully pointed at him, his familiar malicious spark in his eyes Stephen loved to look over, “Be nicer, Stephanie, otherwise you'll sleep in the neighbour’s doghouse, tonight.”

Stephen grinned and he wriggled his eyebrows playfully, “You won't do it.”

“Why?”

“Because you like me too much for that.”

Tony smiled, “Do you have evidences?”

Stephen shrugged while he put salt on his food, “My mother used to say ''If a guy teases you, it means he likes you'', you know : Spare the rod and spoil the child.” 

Then, before Stephen could think or understand what he was about to say, the words escaped from his lips, “Well, you tease me so much I'm astonished you didn't propose to me yet...”

It just came out.

Stephen tried not to seem as embarrassed as he actually was, but his cheeks were burning. Why did he say that? He was really going crazy. 

Tony was also a little taken aback by Stephen's comment, but his confident smirk was quickly back on his lips, “I wouldn't propose to a man who can't cook pasta.” 

Stephen scowled, but he was happy Tony gave him the opportunity to pick himself up, “I was trying to be nice-”

Tony interrupted him, pretending to be surprised, “You, being nice? Does that really happen...?”

Stephen ignored his remark and he offered him his best fake smile, “I wanted to cook, you know, I wanted to prepare a nice meal-” 

However, it seemed Stephen couldn't end any of his sentences, because Tony interrupted him again, pretending to be touched, “You wanted to cook to please me? Oh Stephanie, you shouldn't have!” 

Stephen narrowed his eyes, but he managed not to blush, “I did it because I wanted to thank you for accepting me in your house, douchebag.” The insult at the end of this reply wasn't necessary, but he couldn't help it. 

Tony teased, “Trying to set my Tower on fire was a way to thank me?”

Stephen rolled his eyes, “You're such a Drama-Queen, only the pasta I tried to cook were burned, not your Tower!” 

Tony calmly drunk a bit of his water, “Yeah, well... Next time you have the brilliant idea to cook, we'll order online, no offence, Stephanie.” 

“Or you could cook!” Stephen suggested with a teasing smile, knowing Tony wasn't really good at cooking, just like him. 

Another thing in common...

“I'm terrible at it.” Tony admitted honestly, and Stephen asked, “Worse than me?”

Tony shook his head with a chuckle, “Nope, I never overcooked pasta, contrary to you.”

Stephen pursed his lips. He was seeming so ill-at-ease that the playboy couldn't help but smile fondly at that sight, “It's OK, Stephanie, it was cute.”

As Stephen looked up, his eyebrows raised to show he was not convinced at all, Tony grinned and he clarified, “It was cute, but you lost the lack of respect I had for you...”

Stephen laughed, relieved to know Tony was taking it lightly. 

They shared a comfortable silence for a while, just savouring their spaghetti and looking at their surroundings. Stephen admitted Tony had good tastes to choose a restaurant. It was beautiful, illuminated, and flowered. 

It was indeed Tony who suggested to go to this restaurant, after Stephen burned the pasta he was trying to cook for lunch, and the sorcerer didn't regret accepting.

He also needed to take his mind off things, particularly concerning Peter who was currently with Cloak, probably trying to find a way to go to the library of Kamar-Taj.

Suddenly, Stephen knew it was time. He cleared his throat, and he took his courage in both hands, “Tony, I really thought, and...” He chose to be vague because he didn't know how Tony would react, “What if I say... I agree to join the Avengers?”

Tony blinked and stopped eating, “I'd say you're drunk.” 

Stephen rolled his eyes with an annoyed sigh, “Tony, I'm serious!”

Tony immediately became serious, and he narrowed his eyes at him almost... distrustfully, “Why did you change your mind?”

Strange shrugged, trying to act nonchalantly, “A wise man changes his mind sometimes, a fool never...” He wanted this to be enough, but judging by Tony's jaded gaze, it wasn't enough at all for the billionaire who wanted a real explanation, “That's not an answer, Stephanie.”

“Because...” Stephen took a deep breath, “I wanna be useful, Tony, OK ? I mean, your Tower is cool, but I can't just stay locked up all day, trying to cook pasta for lunch and fail, or else I'll go crazy.” 

Tony wasn't saying anything, he was just staring at Stephen intently, his cold face impossible to read, so Stephen continued nervously, “I still have my magic, I can still act, I can still do good... If I can't do it in Kamar-Taj with sorcerers anymore, I can with other superheroes.” 

Tony seemed disappointed and almost hurt, “So, The Avengers they're just... the plan B?” 

As Stephen frowned with confusion, Tony continued dryly, “When you were in Kamar-Taj, tranquil and cushy, you could use your magic to save the world and you never wanted to become an Avenger, and surprise, surprise! Now that you can't stay in Kamar-Taj, you suddenly want to join us?” 

Tony was seeming irritated as he finished coldly, “My team is not a bin, Stephen, it's not there to be used when it suits you.”

Stephen shook his head, almost offended Tony could believe he was capable of thinking that, “No, Tony, that's not that.”

“Really?” Tony raised coldly an eyebrow, “What if I accept you, and Kamar-Tak wants you again? You'll just leave the Avengers ?”

“No...” Stephen replied sincerely, “Tony, if you accept me, I wouldn't be an official member, I'll have to work in the shadows, and if Kamar-Taj wants me back, then I'll go back, but I'll still help the Avengers if you need me.”

Stephen was actually sick and tired of this stupid law forcing the sorcerers to hide, to work in the shadows, only to please Agamotto. Strange knew people could be aware of magic, it would permit the sorcerers to act more freely, without always fearing to be seen or discovered...

However, Stephen had to respect the laws in Kamar-Taj, that's why he would only help the Avengers in secret not to reveal his magic. 

Indeed, as long as his actions apart from Kamar-Taj were not revealing magic to the world, he could do whatever he wanted during his free time, even help a team of superheroes from time to time...

“Then, why did you refuse the first time?” Tony asked more softly, and Stephen pursed his lips uncomfortably, “I didn't say no...”

“You didn't say yes either...”

“I know...” Stephen sighed, “When you asked me to join you, I... I freaked out. You know, I've always worked alone, expect just a few times with Wong, but... I'm not used to work with a team, but now, thanks to the kid, I learnt to be more... social, and I was very busy at Kamar-Taj when you suggested me to work with the Avengers, I was afraid I would be overwhelmed, but now I have the time-”

“A time you won't have if Kamar-Taj wants you back.” Tony objected more gently, his tone almost sad.

“If one day, I go back in Kamar-Taj, then I'll find time to help the Avengers, although I can't promise you to be as present.”

Tony looked at him for a long time, his distrust slowly fading away, “Well, I would like it, but...” He stopped, and this pause forced Stephen to ask, “But...?”

“There is one condition.” Tony made a pause, “No, two conditions, in fact, respect them and you're in.”

“Which are?” Stephen tried not to sound too annoyed and impatient. Tony raised a finger and he commanded firmly, “Firstly, if you're in the team, I'll make your suit.”

Stephen's eyes widened in horror, and he immediately refused dryly, “No, no way, I don't want an armour!”

Tony rolled his eyes, “You wanna fight crimes wearing jeans and T-shirt, Stephanie?”

Stephen frowned, not very liking Tony's mockery this time, “The look is not important, Tony.”

“Yes, it's important, you moron! Your sorcerer's robes were-”

Stephen interrupted him rudely with a groan, “I know, I know, you thought they were ugly...”  
Irritation was starting to burn his stomach, “You're pathetic, Tony, you just want me to be well-dressed to be part of your team?!”

“No, Stephanie, I want you to be protected!” Tony rose his voice, “Your Harry Potter robes were just pieces of cloth, one little scratch by claw, and you would've bled to death!” 

Tony realised he almost yelled, so he forced himself to soften and talk discreetly, when a few people glanced at them with surprise, “I know you have magic to protect yourself, and you're very good at it, I don't deny it, but magic doesn't do everything, your body is still human and vulnerable.” 

Stephen crossed his arms against his chest with a long sigh, but he couldn't reply, because he knew Tony was right.

With an unbreakable and stubborn determination, Tony continued, “If you want to fight with the Avengers, I need you to know you can be protected when you can't use your magic.” Stephen opened his mouth, surely to object, but Tony cut him off sternly, “It's that or nothing!”

Tony was not going to change his mind or negotiate, it was certain, that's why Stephen gave up, “OK, I agree..." He hoped his suit built by Tony will please him, "What's the last condition?”

“I would like you to say it...” Tony said vaguely, and it was his proud and teasing smile that helped Stephen to understand what he wanted precisely.

“You're such a child.” Stephen rolled his eyes, while Tony took his glass and held it high up without a word. 

“Aright..." The sorcerer took his glass as well, "Cheers, My...” He sighed and suppressed a grimace, “My Awesome Facial Hair Bro.”

Tony's radiant smile made Stephen feel butterflies in his stomach, as they softly knocked together their glasses.

///

Peter flattened himself against the frontage of the New-York Sanctum Sanctorum, just next to the front door. He wasn't even inside it, but he knew someone was in there, probably the new Master of the Sanctum, as Stephen wasn't the one who protected it anymore.

That's why Peter was careful, he couldn't be noticed now. 

He wasn't moving, he was trying to breathe discreetly, and he whispered to Cloak discreetly, still wrapped around his neck, “Cloakie, you know, it's very exciting to follow you, but could you explain to me why we're just in front of the New-York Sanctum Sanctorum !?”

Indeed, Peter let himself being leaded by Cloak, and he was astonished to see the relic had planned to go there... 

It actually was a twinge of sorrow for Peter, given that before, when Stephen was the Master of the New-York Sanctum Sanctorum, he could enter inside freely, as if it was his own home.

Now, he couldn't, and he wasn't even sure if the Sanctum was still permeated with Stephen's magic, like it was before.

Cloak left Peter's neck, returned to its original shape, and it went in front of the door. It waited patiently, without giving Peter an explanation that could explain what Cloak wanted.

Peter rolled his eyes, it was going to be harder than he imagined to work with Cloak, “Yes of course you don't wanna talk, you're not very talkative, you know, worse than Grumpy, but you could, I don't know... make an effort.” 

Cloak still wasn't moving, it was seeming to look through the front door to see what was happening inside the Sanctum Sanctorum. It was choosing the right moment to enter. 

Peter scowled, “OK, you don't give a damn of what I say, cool...”

Suddenly, without warning, Cloak wrapped itself around Peter's body, opened the front door, and entered with him inside. Before Peter could be surprised to be inside the Sanctum Sanctorum, he suddenly felt somebody's presence and heard rapid footsteps getting closer and closer to them. 

Someone was going towards them, probably alerted by the noise they made when they entered. 

“Hello?” A firm voice made Peter flinch, “Is somebody there?”

It was surely the new Master of the place.

“Oh god...” Peter panicked, and tried to find a place to hide himself, but Cloak reacted faster. 

It wrapped itself around him, leaded him on the left without a noise, and it put Peter down behind a huge wardrobe to hide him.

“Cloaki-” Peter tried to say, but the relic flattened itself against him to keep the kid's back pressed against the wardrobe and surely to protect him just in case. Its collar slapped over Peter's mouth, acting as a gag. 

They heard footsteps near them again, the man moving around to see if something was wrong, but he was not managing to find them, which was weird. Peter wondered how it was even possible. 

Indeed, when Stephen was the Master of the place, he could feel any presence in his Sanctum Sanctorum and find easily the location, but this man wasn't finding them, he wasn't feeling them.

Perhaps Stephen's magic was still there after all, and was preventing the new Master from detecting them... It was possible, actually.

Cloak's collar on his mouth was starting to prevent Peter from breathing correctly, so he whispered through his teeth, his voice muffled, “Cloakie, could I breathe?” 

The collar let his mouth immediately, and Peter nodded at it with relief to thank it. He was careful that his breathing was discreet not to be heard.

The fact that the Master didn't detect anything convinced the latter that nothing was inside the Sanctum Sanctorum, it made him stop searching. Maybe he thought he hallucinated the previous noise...

Cloak and Peter waited until they were sure the Master wasn't near them anymore and was in another room.

When Peter's Spidey-Senses didn't feel a threat anymore, Peter knew they could move again. He was about to move his legs, but Cloak was still firmly wrapped around him, limiting his movements. 

Peter sighed and closed his eyes briefly, “Could I move...?”

The relic freed him, and its collar stroked briefly the back of his neck, as an apology. Peter rolled his eyes, and he whispered, “Where do you wanna go now?”

Cloak flew towards a huge dark door, followed by Peter who opened it slowly not to make any noise. Luckily, there was no creaking.

They closed this huge door behind them, and they were now in a long corridor. Peter understood they were not in the Sanctum Sanctorum anymore. Cloak just used it as a way. 

Then, the relic leaded Peter on the right, at the end of the corridor, until they were close to another door which was ajar.

Cloak forced Peter to hide himself behind a wall near this door ajar. When the kid quikcly glanced at it with more attention, he saw the room that was behind the door through the small space.

It was the library.

“Cloakie, look, it's the library, let's g-” Peter darted towards the front door of the library, but he was stopped by Cloak, “What?” He asked with a frown, but he still stayed where he was. 

The relic's collar pointed at the ground in front of Peter, and the kid understood, “You want me to stay here for the moment?” 

The collar nodded, and the kid sighed, “Alright, I don't move, but what are you gonn-” 

He didn't even have the time to finish his question, because Cloak flew towards the door they took to go out of the New-York Sanctum Sanctorum, and disappeared behind it, “OK, cool.”

Peter wondered why Cloak went to the New-York Sanctum Sanctorum again, but he understood when he heard, a few seconds after Cloak left, the shattering of glass and a panicked voice scream, “The Cloak of Levitation has escaped!”

From his hiding place, Peter saw all the sorcerers running towards the door leading to the New-York Sanctum Sanctorum, conjuring shields, nets or weapons. 

Some of the sorcerers were coming from the library, including Wong. None of them saw him, the hiding place Cloak chose was efficient...

“Brilliant, Cloakie....” Peter muttered for himself proudly : The relic created a diversion to be sure that all the sorcerers will be focused on it in the Sanctum Sanctorum, letting the other rooms of Kamar-Taj unsupervised.

Peter waited a little until his Spidey-Senses were telling him there was nobody left inside the library, then he entered, a confident smile on his lips. 

They were almost there!

However, he brutally lost his happy smile when he saw all the books around him. There were hundreds of them, at the very least, and there was no indication.

How was Peter going to find which book was useful ? 

He had to hurry up though, Cloak would not be able to keep the sorcerers occupied for long, but he had no idea where to start... 

When hopelessness overwhelmed the kid, something attracted his attention. On the office in the centre of the library, there was a little piece of paper with something written on it. 

Peter frowned. He didn't even know why, but he approached the office, took the piece of paper, and unfolded it to read it : “In Front of You : Third Section from the Right, Second Shelf from the Top, Seventh Book from the Left, W.”

Peter knew who wrote it.

“Thanks, Wong.” Peter whispered gently, squeezing warmly the piece of paper which was going to be a huge help. 

Not wasting any time, the kid put the piece of paper inside his pocket, looked up, and saw in front of him exactly ten sections of books. 

He went to the third one from the right as indicated by Wong on the paper, and when he was focused on the second shelf, he took the seventh book. 

Found!

''The Vishanti'', Peter read the title with a confused frown. The kid hastened to open it, but he didn't even have the time to read the first page, because his Spidey-Senses reacted brutally.

Someone was there, just near him.

Before he could act, a dry and calm masculine voice appeared on his right, “What the hell are you doing ?”

Peter jumped with a gasp, and when he turned towards the voice, the book open still in his hands, he came noise to noise with a sorcerer, looking at him suspiciously, an amber sword pointed at Peter.

It was Dagan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I hope you loved this chapter!:)
> 
> I know, this ending was cruel, I missed cliffhangers. In the next chapter, we'll see the first meeting between Peter and Dagan, it will be cold!:)
> 
> And I don't want to spoil, but Tony and Stephen's kiss will happen soon... Very soon!:)
> 
> Thanks a lot for all your support and your kind comments, I'm sorry I can't answer all of you!:)
> 
> WIX2


	30. The Vishanti

The sorcerer was holding his sharp sword towards Peter threateningly, ready to strike if the kid was moving. 

Peter stayed where he was. He slowly put the book down on the floor, straightened and he raised his hands on each side of himself.

His heart rate went up, and he swallowed with difficulty. He looked around him, to see if something – anything – could help him, but he knew he was trapped.

He's been caught like an idiot, but he was not worried about himself : Stephen could pay the price, and this thought compressed Peter's throat and made him tremble. 

He tried not to be too afraid, he didn't want the Protector to burn and alert Stephen, but terror was still squeezing his chest : Stephen could be suspected, he could be arrested, he could...

Suddenly, the man who was staring at Peter with attention and distrust blinked with surprise, “You must be the Abomination.”

Peter was so shocked by this weird insult that he couldn't help but reply, “And you must be a jerk.” 

He really should keep his mouth shut, especially when his interlocutor was armed with a weird amber sword...

The man seemed surprised by this reply, and he laughed. He was sounding more bitter than amused though, “Yeah, that's how most people qualify me... Although, as we're two civilised people, I'd prefer that you use my real name, I'm Dagan...”

Who cares? Peter thought, but he didn't say it out loud, he held his tongue this time. 

“As we're two civilised people, maybe you could put your creepy, sharp and deadly sword down, Dagan.” Peter said nervously, glancing at the tip of the sword brushing against his chest. 

The man smiled, “So that you can escape?” He paused, and frowned, “You look familiar, boy... I know who you are.”

“Really?”

Dagan nodded, “You're quite famous here, you know?” He narrowed his eyes, as if he was thinking, “You're Strange's pal, Peter... Peter Parker, is that it ?”

Peter didn't answer. 

Dagan continued peacefully with a tiny smirk, “Yes, you're a real star here : ''The Boy who Challenged Nature'', ''The Boy who Survived Death'', ''The Boy who Lived''...”

Peter frowned, and Dagan chuckled, “I know, it sounds like Harry Potter and it's not very inspired, but it's not every day we see a boy who survives death...”

Peter shook his head, and he contradicted the man coldly, “I didn't survive death.”

“True... That's your pal, Strange, who accomplished this great task...” 

Dagan's calm and almost friendly mask brutally faded away, he seemed now really disgusted, “He turned you into an unnatural thing, an Abomination.”

“He saved my life.”

Dagan ignored his comment, “Anyway, this pep-talk is entertaining but that doesn't explain why Peter Parker in person is alone inside the library of Kamar-Taj whereas he wasn't invited at all... I won't even ask how you even managed to come here unnoticed...” 

Peter lied, “I was running out of books at my house, and I discovered Kamar-Taj's library before, so... you know, I came here to read, I'm a very curious boy, eager to learn.”

Peter tried to sound convincing, but he knew it was too late to try to justify himself, he just wanted to save time.

Dagan glanced calmly at the book Peter took before on the floor, and he raised his eyebrows, he was obviously not believing a word, “And surprise surprise, you just chose the book dealing with the Vishanti?”

The way he said it made Peter flinch. He had the impression that Dagan knew exactly why Peter was here, and it was disturbing. Spider-Man shrugged, “I liked the front page.”

The man seemed really annoyed as he noticed scornfully, “You act like Strange, boy.”

The teenager raised proudly his chin, “I take that as a compliment.”

Dagan smiled coldly, “You know what's worse than lying, boy? Believing that I'm stupid enough to believe you.”

“I'm not lyi-”

Dagan interrupted him with a rude tone, “Just stop, I know why you're here, boy : You're here because you're looking for information about Strange's mysterious survival, and actually...” Dagan glanced at the book, “You were on the right track...” 

He pretended to be sad, “Too bad you were caught before you could learn more...” 

Peter glared at him, but he decided to stay quiet. Actually, his fiery eyes were saying more than mere words.

Dagan was not disturbed by the kid's hatred, “The real question is, why did you come here to find information...? Did Strange send you, did he order you to come here?” 

Peter felt his heart freeze. Indeed, judging by Dagan's tone, it was obvious the latter was believing it was Stephen, the responsible. 

Even if there was no proof, it didn't prevent Peter from panicking a little, “N-Nobody sent me, I came here myself.” 

It was not a lie, technically : Peter came here because he wanted it, not at Stephen's request, “Stephen has nothing to do with that.”

His voice was firm, but it still quivered. Dagan raised his eyebrows, “Really? So, it was your own decision to come here and risk your freedom for your pal?”

Peter hated the way Dagan was speaking. Stephen was not his ''pal'', he was his father. The kid was surprised by this thought, but he decided to ignore it. 

He forced himself to keep his tone calm when he answered honestly, “It was my own decision.”

Dagan seemed to believe him, and he mocked, “That's touching, really... This loyalty you share, you and Strange, you got me all teary-eyed... Although, you must be really desperate to risk everything just for information.”

Peter saw red. He brutally released the anger he was trying to contain as he spat, “Yes, I am desperate. Do you know why?” 

He didn't wait for Dagan to answer, he hissed angrily, “Because the truth you're hiding from Stephen, it's breaking him. Tony picked him up in tears after the trial, because Stephen doesn't know what happened that day, he doesn't know if somebody died in his place, but you do know, and you just keep your mouth shut like fucking cowards.”

Dagan warned, “Choose your next words carefully, boy.”

Peter laughed in Dagan's face fearlessly, “Why? Otherwise you'll kill me with your fucking magic sword?” 

As Dagan just raised an eyebrow, Peter continued rudely, “You, and all the sorcerers, abandoned him, you let him down like a fucking garbage, forgetting everything he did for Kamar-Taj, every sacrifice he made for Kamar-Taj. Yes, I'm desperate, because I'm fed up with seeing Stephen suffer and torture himself because of the sorcerers who are too stupid to tell him what they know.” 

Peter finished scornfully, pointing at Dagan in front of him, “I'm not an Abomination, you are.”

A stunned silence followed his tirade, only their heavy breathings could be heard. They stared at each other defiantly for a long time, then Dagan ended up smiling a little, “I understand why Strange likes you : You have guts...”

Peter hated that weird admiration he could hear in Dagan's tone, that's why he didn't answer.

Dagan continued more seriously, “I understand your anger as well, boy, but you must understand that sometimes, the truth can... disrupt our belief, it's difficult to accept something that changes what we believed for... generations.” 

Peter scowled, “I see. As it's not a truth that rubs up the right way, you and the other sorcerers, you bury it, you act as if it doesn't exist, and you don't care about what Stephen can feel. It's pathetic.” 

Dagan didn't answer. The kid sighed for a long time, and he lost little by little his aggressive behaviour. He was tired of speaking actually, it leaded nowhere, “Just... arrest me, let's get this over with.” 

Dagan calmly made his sword disappear, “Who said I wanted to arrest you...?” 

Peter's eyes widened, and he was too surprised to reply. Dagan looked at his surroundings and he asked hastily, “Did anybody else see you here?” 

Peter just shook his head, still unable to speak. 

Dagan nodded dryly, “Good, let's hope it stays that way.” 

Without telling anything else, Dagan moved away, and he was about to go at the back of the library, but he was stopped by Peter's hesitant voice, “What... What are you doing?”

“Come with me, boy and bring the book you took before, I'd like to show you something.” Dagan ordered simply without even a glance towards the kid, as he headed for the back of the library. 

Peter didn't hesitate, he picked up the book and just followed him.

///

“Who are they?” Peter asked with curiosity, pointing at the three beautiful and very realistic portraits in front of him. 

At first, the teenager thought Dagan was going to show him magic, like a ritual or something like that. At a moment, he even believed anxiously that Dagan was going to put him in jail, but none of that happened. 

Dagan just put him in front of three paintings hung on a wall without a single explanation. 

Dagan's face darkened when he directed his eyes towards the three paintings, “The three beings who made up the Vishanti.” 

Peter nodded slowly, it made senses now, ''the Vishanti'' was a group of three people, surely deceased sorcerers. 

The kid was about to ask why Dagan was giving him information, but the sorcerer continued carefully, “Although they don't intervene often, they are the sorcerers' guides. Before, they were humans and brilliant sorcerers, their magic were in fact so powerful that they became god-like entities after their deaths.”

Peter decided not to question why Dagan was helping him willingly, he just took the opportunity to learn more about the Vishanti, because he knew Wong leaded him to the book dealing with them for a reason, “What are they doing, exactly?”

Dagan was still staring at the three paintings with a weird look on his face, a mixture of respect and admiration, “Simply put, they are the defenders of the multi-verse, of the natural balance, of Kamar-Taj, and in a way, they act patrons for the Sorcerer Supreme.” 

The sorcerer moved forward, and he pointed at the painting on the far left, “She's Oshtur, Lady of the Skies.” 

Then, he showed the painting just next to it, “Hoary Hoggoth, Lord of Hosts, and finally...” He showed the last painting, “Agamotto the All-Seeing, the Light of Truth, and the First Sorcerer Supreme.”

Peter tried to sum up everything he was learning inside his mind, and when he was certain he was understanding everything, he continued his interrogation, “You said they don't intervene often... Why?”

“The Vishanti are supposed to let the sorcerers decide what they're going to do, they let us our autonomy, they just intervene when Kamar-Taj is threatened, when they can't do otherwise, basically.” 

“What's the connection between Stephen and the Vishanti?”

Dagan's jaw clenched, and Peter pursed his lips nervously. He knew he just brought the sensitive subject, but he had to ask this question, it was actually the most important one, the reason why he came here. 

Peter was certain Dagan would stay silent, but the sorcerer surprised him again, “When Strange died, he was supposed to stay dead : When a sorcerer brings a person back to life, he automatically dies : Strange gave up his own life to permit yours to continue : A life for a life, a kind of bargain with Nature...”

Peter blinked, trying to suppress the tears burning his eyes. 

It was still painful to think about that day, but he knew he would probably never think about that without having this painful lump in his throat, and having the impression his chest was still pierced by the monster's tentacle.

Dagan ignored Peter's sadness and he continued, “He should have stayed dead to preserve the natural balance, but Wong intervened, and he drew this, on Strange's wrist.” 

He brutally took the book Peter was holding in his hands, opened it and showed him a page where was drawn a white symbol. 

“What is it?” Peter frowned, but he didn't have the time to really look at it, because Dagan closed the book and put it closer to him against his chest. 

Peter resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Dagan probably didn't want a simple mortal to see a magical thing longer...

However, Dagan still explained, “It's the Vishanti Symbol : It's used by sorcerers to call them, to draw their attention in order to ask for help. The sorcerers just have to draw this symbol on anything, it can be a wall, a piece of paper, a skin...” Dagan shrugged, “Whatever.”

“Do the Vishanti always respond?”

“No.” Dagan sounded a little bitter, “The Vishanti, and it's only my point of view, they let us... too much autonomy : Sometimes, we need their help, but they're not there, they have the right to do that though, when they think the sorcerers can find the solution by themselves or when they believe their intervention is unnecessary.” 

“However, when Wong called them for Stephen, they did intervene.” Peter whispered thoughtfully, and Dagan nodded, a little admiring to see Peter understand that fast, “Indeed, they intervened : It's not Wong who saved Strange's life, it was the Vishanti, Agamotto himself, more particularly.”

Peter was relieved to finally know a part of the story, “Why would Agamotto bring Stephen back to life?”

“Because Strange is more useful alive than dead.”

Peter brutally understood, and his jaw almost dropped, “Stephen is the next Sorcerer Supreme...”

Dagan nodded and he stayed silent, allowing Peter to continue to guess. All the pieces were coming together in the kid's mind, “Wong knew it since the beginning, that's why the trial changed brutally when he talked to the sorcerers in private, he just revealed to all of you that Stephen was the next Sorcerer Supreme, chosen by the Vishanti... That's why you didn't remove Stephen's magic from him, that's why you didn't put him in jail... And that's why you removed his title of Master of the New-York Sanctum Sanctorum from him : He's free now to be the Sorcerer Supreme.”

“Yes.” Dagan just said through clenched teeth. 

Peter suddenly frowned, “I don't understand one thing, though : Why keep it secret? Why ignore it? Will you tell Stephen abou-”

Dagan interrupted him calmly, “We respect the Vishanti's decision, so of course, the sorcerers want to tell Strange, and we really hope he'll say yes, but the sorcerers don't want to tell him now...”

“Why not now... ?” Peter asked slowly, his gaze questioning. 

Dagan sighed, “They wanna tell Strange soon, and they'll give him the choice to accept or not, but right now, the sorcerers need time to accept that the Vishanti, Agamotto in fact, broke a law : He brought a person back to life, whereas it has always been forbidden-”

“But he broke a law for the good cause.” Peter interrupted him firmly, “And by the way, why did you reveal to me everything whereas it has to stay secret for now?”

Dagan shrugged, “I can break the laws too, it's for ''the good cause''...” 

Dagan really sounded bitter towards the Vishanti's actions, and actually, Peter couldn't really blame him. He understood it was a shock and a disillusion to see the entities they admire and respect do forbidden things...

“Why are you doing it, then?” Peter asked gently. 

Dagan glared at the kid, “I want Earth to be well protected, boy. For that purpose, I want Strange to be the greatest Sorcerer Supreme he can be : Strange deserves to have the time to prepare himself. I trust the Vishanti's decision : If they chose Strange to be the next Sorcerer Supreme, it means Strange will be equal to the task...” 

“However...?” Peter guessed gently, raising an eyebrow.

“However, the sooner Strange knows who he's going to be, the sooner he has the time to prepare himself, the quicker he'll be a good and efficient Sorcerer Supreme.” 

Peter nodded, it made sense, now, “You want me to tell him now...”

It was not a question, but Dagan still nodded, “Yes... Why do you think I told you all of this?” 

Peter stared at him, and he smiled shyly, “Thank you.”

Dagan scowled, and he replied rudely, “I'm not doing this for you or Strange, I'm doing it for the Earth.” 

Peter believed him.

Now that he knew most of it, it was the time to ask his last question, “I have one last question : Is somebody dead, that day, as Stephen survived?”

He tried to suppress his anxious tone, but he failed miserably. Dagan stared at the teenager for a long time, and he finally shook his head, “The Vishanti brought Strange back to life themselves, they're not simple humans, boy, they can allow themselves to break the natural balance without paying the consequences. Nobody died, expect you that day, boy.”

Peter couldn't help but smile, happiness lighting up his face, “That's good.” 

Stephen was going to be so relieved...! Nobody died.

Dagan didn't let him enjoy the moment, he suddenly created a portal near them, and he announced, “You should go, now, boy : Go through this portal, and then take the back door of the room, you'll be back in New-York.”

Peter brutally thought of Cloak, he couldn't let it down, “But... But...” He stammered. 

Dagan rolled his eyes annoyingly and he said, “Strange's relic is caught, it was sent back in the New-York Sanctum Sanctorum where it belongs, there's nothing you can do for it anymore, boy.”

Peter didn't care about the fact that Dagan understood Cloak was in league with him, he only cared about the fact that Cloak was taken, again.

It broke Peter's heart : Cloak knew it was going to get caught, but it still did it for its Chosen. At least, Peter knew the truth now...

Dagan must have seen the broken expression on Peter's face, because he clarified rudely, “Don't worry, boy : When Strange will come back here, he'll have his relic back. They just have to be separated, not for long.”

Peter just nodded with a tiny smile. He was so lost in his dark thoughts that he flinched when Dagan said rudely, “You have to go, now!”

Peter obeyed. He quickly approached the portal. When he moved his leg forward to go though it, he was stopped by Dagan's voice, “Tell Strange I'm sorry for him.” 

Dagan's voice was cold, but Peter was sure he was honest when he turned his head towards the sorcerer and met Dagan's eyes filled with compassion. 

The kid frowned, “Why are you sorry?”

Dagan sighed for a long time, and he simply said, “Do you think you can allow yourself to have a family when you're the Sorcerer Supreme?”

Before Peter could react or even answer, Dagan gently threw his amber portal towards the kid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, that was the big revelation, I hoped you liked it! :)
> 
> You see, Dagan is not really an asshole, he's just a little... !:) 
> 
> In the next chapter, we'll see Peter who announces what he learnt. However, Peter won't be really happy, he doesn't really want Stephen to be the next Sorcerer Supreme... :)
> 
> Thanks a lot for all your support, you're truly amazing!:)
> 
> WIX2


	31. Being the Sorcerer Supreme

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I'm so sorry for the wait! I was really busy, I just started mu studies in college in a new city, so it's been a long and busy week !:)
> 
> I really hope you'll enjoy this chapter! :)
> 
> Thanks a lot for all your comments, kudos and bookmarks, you're really amazing !:)
> 
> WIX2

When Peter went back in the Stark Tower, Stephen and Tony didn't have the time to express their relief, because the kid lost no time : He immediately told them what he learnt. 

An overjoyed smile crossed Tony and Stephen's lips when the kid explained to them that nobody died when he was brought back to life.

However, the two adults lost their smile little by little, while Peter mentioned the rest : He told them what happened to Cloak, he told them he got caught by Dagan, hastening to reassure them when their eyes widened in horror and fear.

To finish, he revealed what Dagan told him, the fact that the Vishanti chose Stephen to become the next Sorcerer Supreme.

Surprisingly, Stephen handled it fine. He didn't seem disturbed or panicked by this revelation. He just stayed quiet, thoughtful, whereas Tony and Peter were stealing glances to share their worries.

The sorcerer didn't reveal his decision, but Tony and Peter knew him too well : it was obvious that Stephen already took his decision. He was going to say yes, it was a certainty. 

When the conversation finished, they decided to give themselves some privacy in their own corner to think : Peter went to sit on a coach in another room, while Tony moved in front of a window in silence, rubbing nervously his facial hair, and Stephen lasted five minutes alone, before joining the playboy first.

His tender voice interrupted Tony's gloomy thoughts, “Tony, I don't want to upset you, but you've been staying in front of this window without moving for five minutes...” 

Tony didn't even flinch. He continued to look at the streets through the window like a living dead, without turning around. 

He heard Stephen's timid footsteps coming closer to him, and he didn't move. Stephen came next to him and he teased lightly, “Is it how you distract yourself? Don't tell me that you're spying on a naked neighbor who is taking a shower...” 

Tony's face stayed humorless, even when he smiled, “When I want to distract myself, I build something or I watch a porno movie, it depends on my mood.”

Stephen smirked, and he stayed silent. He was seeming embarrassed, staring at his feet and pursing his lips. He didn't know what to say to keep the conversation going.

Tony glanced at him quickly, took a deep breath, and he decided to approach the problem himself, “So, we're not going to talk about it?”

His icy tone made Stephen flinch. Yet, the sorcerer took his courage in both hands to face Tony, “That's actually why I joined you here, to talk about it.” He cleared his throat, “I was trying to... strike up a conversation.”

“You're terrible at it.” Tony replied nonchalantly, too nonchalantly, as if he was too tired to inject real venom or humor into his voice.

Stephen sighed, “Tony, I'd like to hear your opinion.”

“Why?” Tony shrugged, but Stephen knew he was not as indifferent as he wanted to show, “I'm nobody to tell you what to do or not to do.”

“Your opinion matters to me.” The sorcerer clarified firmly, but Tony wasn't convinced, he let out a mocking and bitter laugh, “I know you, Stephen : You're going to say yes anyway, whatever I'm saying...”

Stephen winced, and he guessed softly, “So, you don't want me to accept...”

“Congratulations, Stephanie, does that change something?” Tony spread his arms sadly, and he answered his own question, “No, it doesn't.”

Stephen didn't like seeing Tony like that. He really wanted to reassure him, but he couldn't lie to him, “That doesn't mean I don't want to hear what you're thinking.”

Tony sighed. He looked Stephen straight in the eyes for the first time since they started to talk and he asked, “Why are you going to say yes so easily?” 

He didn't want to sound hostile, but his voice was still too belligerent.

“Because there are good sides-”

“And you don't want to see the bad sides, do you?” Tony interrupted him, narrowing his eyes as he crossed his arms against his chest with an acid smile. 

Stephen calmly raised an eyebrow, “You seem to see them. Enlight me...”

Tony didn't say anything for a long time, trying to keep his nerves in check. He always became fierce when someone who was dear to him was taking a decision that could threaten his life, but he knew arguing wouldn't help. 

When he spoke again, his voice was softer, “Do you remember when you showed me Kamar-Taj and explained to me its history?

Stephen just nodded, and Tony carried on, “You said the Sorcerer Supreme was the one who was risking his ass the most-”

“Technically, you're the one who said that.” Stephen noticed gently.

“But you didn't deny...” Tony replied dryly, “I'm not stupid, Stephen, I know what it represents ; Being the Sorcerer Supreme means you're going to be a walking target, we just have to paint a bull's-eye on your back and it'll be perfect.”

Stephen shrugged, “I was already in danger, even when I was not the Sorcerer Supreme. I chose that path, I chose that dangerousness a long time ago.”

Tony closed his eyes briefly, and his jaw clenched, “Just don't, Stephen. I know that being the Master of the New-York Sanctum Sanctorum was dangerous as well, but that's not the same thing.” 

“That's not the same thing...” The sorcerer repeated slowly. Obviously, he was not seeing any difference, and it was annoying Tony. 

The playboy developed, “Firstly, if you're the Sorcerer Supreme, you'll always be the first to fight, you'll always be in the front line. Secondly, you'll have to protect some stuffs, like the weird necklace I saw when I went to Kamar-Taj. There are bad people out there who want dearly what you'd protect and they will try to get it, by every possible means... You'll be the target number one, and you want me to... What? Jump for joy?”

Stephen stared at Tony for a long moment with a heavy heart, and he ended up shaking his head, “I don't want you to go wild with joy, I just want your support.” 

Tony was speechless, it allowed Stephen to continue, “Tony, Kamar-Taj has been lost since the Ancient One's death-”

The playboy suddenly felt his blood boil, and he interrupted him harshly, “Yeap, and she died because she was the Sorcerer Supreme ! I'm sorry if I don't want the same to happen to you.”

Stephen swallowed with difficulty, and he looked away. He couldn't bear to see Tony's anxious expression. He spoke when he was sure his voice wouldn't quiver, “Kamar-Taj needs a Sorcerer Supreme to guide them, Tony.”

Tony laughed humorlessly, “So, you forgot how they treated you? How they organize a fucking trial as if you were just a vulgar criminal ?”

“Tony...” Stephen sighed quietly, but the playboy totally ignored him and carried on, “You're too good for them, Stephen, that's what I'm thinking.” 

The sorcerer bit his lower lip and he finally said, “It'll be dangerous, I don't deny it, but as I said before, I've always risked my life, I was already in danger before, and I will continue to risk my life, no matter who I am, no matter if I'm the Sorcerer Supreme or not.”

“That's so reassuring.” 

“I won't be alone, I'll have help.”

Tony pretended to be satisfied, “Great, you'll have Wong, Dagan and every sorcerers who hate you by your side !” 

Stephen rolled his eyes, and he couldn't help but object, “They don't hate me...” 

“A little.”

Stephen ignored the last remark, “Anyway, it doesn't matter, because I was not only thinking about them... I was thinking about you, about the Avengers as I'm now an official member... I want an alliance between the Avengers and Kamar-Taj, you were right ; The superheroes need to team up to be stronger, we have to help each other, and it'll be easier to organize it if I'm the Sorcerer Supreme.” 

“That's amazing.” Tony muttered bitterly, as he looked down. 

Stephen closed the distance between them. He presented his arguments gently, “Tony, if the Vishanti believe I'm capable, I have to accept it, I can't abandon Kamar-Taj... I promised a long time ago to devote my life to the Mystic Arts and it didn't change.”

“Like an obedient sheep...” Tony regretted these words the second they left his mouth.

Stephen glared at him and he seemed hurt, but his reply was calm, “The Mystic Arts were my lifebuoy when I had nothing left, it was the only way I had to redeem myself, Tony... It's thanks to the Mystic Arts that I can look myself in the mirror, and it's still very important to me. It's as if I was asking you to remove your armor and stop fighting, you wouldn't be able to do that.” 

Tony was still not looking at him. He looked ashamed by his last comment. With shaky hands, Stephen cupped Tony's face and he whispered, “Tony, please...”

Both Tony and Stephen were taken aback by this sudden tender movement, but Tony didn't protest and Stephen didn't remove his hands. 

Tony looked at the sorcerer in the eye and he caved in, “Fine... I'm still not completely OK with it, but... I...” He thought of his armor, “I understand.” 

He cleared his throat, “I'll support you.” 

A bright smile lit up Stephen's face. He let go of Tony's face and he whispered warmly, “Thank you.”

Even if Tony couldn't win against Stephen's determination, he could still bring a condition, “I guess I'll have to reconstitute the Avengers and build your suit faster, then : I won't let you spend one day in your “Sorcerer Supreme” mode without any protection and any assistance available.”

Stephen let out a brief laugh, “Alright, as you want. You still have time, though : The sorcerers will probably announce it to me a few days later, and I'll have to pretend to be surprised.”

Tony couldn't care less, “I'll work on it quickly.”

“Thanks.” 

Tony's face clouded over a little, “Don't thank me for that.”

“OK...” Stephen nodded shyly. He suddenly took a deep breath, and muttered to himself, “Alright, that was the easy part.”

Tony guessed, “You're talking about Peter...” He glanced at the door leading to the other room where the kid took refuge, “He's not taking it well...”

“I know, that's why I'm saying that...” Stephen sighed tiredly, “I'll go talk to him.”

Tony patted his shoulder with sympathy, “Good luck, Stephanie-” He paused, and finally, his beautiful teasing smirk was back on his lips, to Stephen's sincere delight, “Oh, how do I have to call you now, by the way ? My Lord? Venerated Sorcerer Supreme ? Princess?” 

He pretended to bow. 

Stephen chuckled, and he rolled his eyes, “Just ''Stephanie'' is fine.” 

“Or “My Supreme Awesome Facial Hair Bro”?”

The sorcerer moved towards the door, “I'll pretend I didn't hear that.” He smiled briefly at Tony, before opening the door.

///

“Do you think you can allow yourself to have a family when you're the Sorcerer Supreme?” Dagan's sentence couldn't leave Peter's mind. It was impossible not to think about it. 

Actually, Peter was upset, but he didn't really know why. Maybe he was scared because Dagan may be right.

Dagan implied that Stephen had to make a choice between his family, which means between the people he loved, and his duty. Stephen couldn't have both. 

Peter knew Stephen was going to accept. It meant he was surely going to abandon and ignore him and Tony, in order to become and stay the next Sorcerer Supreme. 

Peter knew it was selfish to be upset about it : He couldn't blame Stephen to respect his duty. The sorcerer was an adult, he could do everything he wanted, even go away from him if he wanted to. 

Yet, Peter was still upset, no matter how many time he told himself not to be selfish. Peter was going to lose Stephen, and it hurt.

“Hey.” Stephen's gentle voice made him flinch. 

Peter was so lost in thought that he didn't even notice Stephen had opened the door. He shyly turned his head towards Stephen, whereas the latter was joining him and was sitting on the couch just next to him. 

“Hey.” Peter whispered, trying to sound normal, but he was avoiding the sorcerer's gaze. 

“Are you OK, kid?” Stephen asked, frowning at him a little.

Peter forced himself to nod, “Yes, of course.” He even tried to smile, forcing his gloomy face to light up a bit, but his smile looked more like a grimace.

Stephen rolled his eyes, “C'mon, stupid kid, you're a terrible liar... Talk to me, tell me what's going on.” 

Peter pursed his lips, and he avoided to answer, “Don't you know how to read minds, Grumpy?” 

Stephen smiled, and he touched Peter's temple with the tip of his finger, “I could read your mind, but I don't really want to get lost up there.” 

His teasing remark managed to get the kid to smile honestly, but his face quickly clouded over again and he lost his smile in one shot just when he answered, “I'm fine.” 

Stephen sighed tiredly, “No, you're not.” He wriggled his eyebrows, “I know it because you don't have this silly smile on your face.”

In a friendly way, Peter tapped the sorcerer on the shoulder and he protested, pretending to be offended, “Hey ! I never have a ''silly smile'' on my face!”

Stephen chuckled a bit, but he was quickly serious again, “Nice try... Don't change the subject, talk to me.”

Peter took a deep breath. He wanted to stay silent, he was too ashamed to be able to say it, but he knew Stephen wasn't going to give up, so he cleared his throat and he began, “OK, I may have a problem...” 

Peter stopped and he violently shook his head as he retracted, “No, never mind, forget it Grumpy, it's just selfish.”

Stephen nonchalantly shrugged, “It's OK to be selfish, kid, you're only 15... Although, I could help you, but only if you tell me what's wrong.” 

Peter swallowed, and he looked at Stephen in the eye anxiously, “You're going to say yes, aren't you?”

“You don't want me to say yes, do you?”

Stephen didn't sound annoyed at all, but Peter still shrank a little. He shyly admitted, “No, I don't... Not really.” 

Then, before the adult could react, the kid started to stammer anxiously, “I mean, you do whatever you want, Grumpy, I don't want to force you not to accept, I don't have the right to-”

Stephen rolled his eyes, and he interrupted him softly, “Relax, kid. You have the right to think it, I just wanna understand why.”

Peter didn't know where to start, so he said the first thing that came to his head, “Dagan.”

Confused, Stephen blinked, and he frowned, “I'm afraid I don't see the connection.”

Peter felt his cheeks burn shamefully. He looked down, and he whispered, “He told me you couldn't have both... You can't be the Sorcerer Supreme and...” He stopped, biting his lower lip.

“And?” Stephen calmly raised an eyebrow, encouraging the kid to continue. Peter took a deep breath, and he muttered so quickly that he thought Stephen wouldn't understand, “And have a family.”

However, Stephen did understand. He nodded darkly, “I see.” 

It was impossible to read his neutral expression, it stressed Peter out, who hastened to retract again, “It's stupid, sorry, I shouldn't have-”

Stephen interrupted him nonchalantly, “Yes, it's stupid, but that doesn't surprise me.” He didn't seem mad at all, “You're afraid I'm going to... What ? Abandon you? Ignore you? Pretend like you don't exist?” 

As the kid nervously didn't answer, Strange understood he reached the target. He sighed and he said tiredly, “C'mon, kid, I thought you were a better judge of character...” 

Peter laughed bitterly, “Despite what you always say, I'm not stupid. You'll be super busy and-”

Stephen didn't let him finish, “I was already busy before, it doesn't mean I stopped seeing you...”

“That's not the same thing!” Peter protested, raising his voice a little, and this time, Stephen didn't object, he let the kid continue, “You'll have better things to do than losing your time with me: You'll be the Sorcerer Supreme, the Big Boss. You'll have to spend your time in Kamar-Taj, saving the world and organising the sorcerers' business, you can't be distracted.” 

Peter shrugged, and he finished more softly, “It's OK, though, I mean... I'm used to it.”

The last sentence broke Stephen's heart. At that moment, the sorcerer understood the cause of Peter's fear. The kid already lost his parents when he was younger, and his uncle afterwards. It was normal to dread abandon...

Stephen shook his head, “There's no law in Kamar-Taj that obliges the Sorcerer Supreme not to have people he cares about around him... It's not because Dagan believes something that I agree. I'm not going to let you down, kid...” 

Peter didn't seem convinced at all, “Yes, that's what you're saying now, but maybe in a few mouths-”

“I won't change my mind.” Stephen's voice became deadly firm, almost rude, “Kid, I already lost my ''first'' family, you really think I'm gonna willingly just lose the one I have now?” 

Peter didn't answer. Stephen smiled a bit and he said, “You know, before I met you-”

“You were a jerk.” The kid noticed without any tact, which made Stephen laugh. Then, the sorcerer corrected him, raising a finger, “Wrong : I'm still a jerk, but before, I was a lonely jerk.” 

Peter didn't know what to say, so he let Stephen continue. 

The sorcerer smiled fondly at him, but his eyes had a glimmer of sadness, “Having you and Tony in my life made me realise how... lonely I used to be. Before, only my duty mattered, I didn't want to have friends, I didn't want to be near people. I was basically retreating into solitude. I only had a duty to serve and I was OK with that.” 

He paused, and he pointed at Peter with a wink, “And then one day, I saw a stupid kid who broke his skull because he was trying to stop bank robbers. I came to cure him, and I brought him into my Sanctum. It might be hard to believe, but... It was weird to have another presence inside my Sanctum, as I stayed alone for such a long time...” 

He chuckled a little, lost in this memory, “Oh god, this kid was so annoying and talkative, I thought I was never going to get rid of him...” 

Peter couldn't help but smile, and Stephen continued with affection, “However, this kid, and I have to give him that, had guts and he was stubborn : Despite the fact that I was not the nicest person, he came to see me, again and again, until...” Stephen became more serious, and he whispered gently, “Until it felt normal.” 

Peter couldn't talk, his throat was too tight. The sorcerer carried on warmly, “Thanks to this kid who's you, in case you didn't get it, I also met Tony, he became my best friend.”

And maybe more, one day... Peter thought, without of course sharing this idea.

Stephen raised his chin, “Before, I was alone, you changed that, you have no idea how precious it is... I'm not going to let you down just because I'll have more work to do. I've got plenty of faults, but letting down the people I care about is not one of them.” 

“Really?” Peter asked, vulnerable, with a small voice.

Stephen nodded, and he finished fondly, “No matter what my title is, no matter who I am, Sorcerer Supreme or not, you'll always be my stupid kid, Peter.”

The hopelessness in the kid's eyes was finally gone, and he threw himself into Stephen's arms with a bright smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter : Christmas is coming...


	32. Christmas Eve: Part I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh My God. 
> 
> I'm so so so so sorry for the wait! I know it's been a long time since I last updated, so I don't even know if there's still people here...
> 
> Anyway, I finally managed to write this chapter, and this new chapter, it's my Christmas gift for you. I hope you'll enjoy it! :)
> 
> I normally planned to write only one chapter for Christmas, but it will be in two parts, because otherwise this chapter was going to be too long. 
> 
> And for people who asked: no, I won't give up this story. I can be very long to update (sorry about that again!), but I will never abandon it. I will continue it for a long time, as long as I still have inspiration. :)
> 
> Thanks a lot for all your support, and Merry Christmas !
> 
> WIX2

“So...” Tony announced loudly with a smirk, wriggling his eyebrows at Peter, “Where do we start? Food or present?”

Peter didn't even have to think about it. He immediately chose with a grin, “Present!”

Tony didn't seem surprised. He shook his head and he let out a brief laugh to show that it was the most stupid choice ever, “I disagree: Food!” 

They both laughed, but they decided to put on hold the debate, waiting for Stephen to get out of the bathroom. Yes, the sorcerer was still preparing himself. Tony, of course, took the opportunity to tease him about it but the sorcerer didn't react to the light provocation.

Tony and Peter were sitting on the couch inside the Stark Tower, near the big and gleaming Christmas tree. At its feet, gifts were gathered. For the occasion, Tony wore an elegant black suit, and he put away his Arc Reactor.

Peter arrived a few minutes ago, but he couldn't stay for long. For Christmas, he decided to spend some time with Tony and Stephen, maybe even eat with them, and then he will come back at his home, to spend the rest of the Christmas Eve with Aunt May, Ned and Michelle. 

Finally, they heard sounds of footsteps. Stephen was coming. Without turning around, Tony started to say, “Stephanie, your role for today is to be decisive... Food or pres-” 

It was at that moment he turned around to look at Stephen, and he suddenly stopped talking.

Stephen was wearing a black suit, almost the same as Tony's, and it highlighted perfectly his clear eyes and his muscular shoulders. His dark hair were this time well-kept and combed, making him even more elegant. 

He was... dazzling. 

Tony blinked, looking at Stephen from head to toe, speechless for a second. The shock was not only due to the fact that the sorcerer was handsome. It was mostly the strong contrast with the normal Stephen. 

Oh, Stephen was always beautiful, but he was normally more... simple, wearing most of the time ugly clothes, or letting his hair in a mess. Tony also loved that simple Stephen though, given that it showed his humble side he developed a few years ago, when he learned the mystic arts. 

Tony's shock lasted just one tiny second, but it was enough for Peter and Stephen to notice. It was quite funny to see the self-confident Tony Stark, being destabilized and struggling to find the words, even for a short time. 

Peter grinned from ear to ear. Stephen raised an eyebrow and he said, “Yes...?”

“Um...” Tony swallowed and he cleared his throat, “You're... You're...” Seeing the playboy stammer was worth gold. 

Stephen took a look at himself, and he suggested with a feigned arrogant grin, “Elegant? Handsome? Breathtaking?”

Tony blinked, and he was finally able to speak again, “You're wearing my bow tie.”

Peter started laughing while Stephen rolled his eyes. Before the sorcerer could reply, the robotic, yet quite teasing voice of Friday intervened bluntly, “He was going to say ''handsome''.”

“Shut up, Friday.” Tony pretended to glare at the AI, and Stephen lowered his head to hide his pleased smile. 

He would be lying if he said he didn't appreciate the compliment. Well, he loved it because it came from Tony if he was being honest. He quickly changed the subject before he could blush, “What was the question?”

Peter answered him, “Food or present first?”

Stephen shrugged, “I'm neutral in this fight, but... I'm gonna say presents.”

Tony rolled his eyes and pretended to be in a huff, but he was not offended at all, “Of course, you just want to contradict me!”

Stephen raised an eyebrow and he retorted calmly, “Or maybe I didn't know what you chose because I just got here, and I just want to start with the gifts?”

His jaded tone made Tony smile. Peter nodded proudly, “Grumpy understood my idea was the best!”

“You two must be joking!” Tony rolled his eyes, “Food is more important than presents.” He pointed at Peter with a smirk, “Kid, I would have understood your choice if it was Stephanie who cooked, but it's not the case!”

“Hey!” Stephen protested, “I made progress!”

Tony didn't even look at Stephen when he answered, “No offence Stephanie, but I don't see ''not burning pasta again'' as a progress.”

The sorcerer struggled not to smile, but he failed, “Touché.” 

He sat on the couch just next to Tony, as the playboy continued to protest lightly, “Anyway, let's not forget that we're at my place” He pointed at himself, “So I'm the one who decide!”

Peter rolled his eyes, “Yeap, but Grumpy and I are the majority.”

“And I live there too.” Stephen finished nonchalantly. 

Tony let out a long sigh, “Alright, I surrender.” His feigned broken expression made the others laugh. 

Peter clapped his hands and he announced with excitement, “I'm first!” 

He got up from the couch, took two presents near the Christmas tree, and he held them out to the adults with a proud smile, “That's for Grumpy, and that's for Tony!” 

The adults took their own gifts and they started to rip the wrapping paper. Stephen was more rapid, so he discovered his gift first. His eyes widened.

It was a beautiful pocket watch in copper, with a thick attached chain. It was closed with a protective flap, and when Stephen opened it, he saw that the numbers were in Roman numerals, and the watch hands were black. His eyes finally moved towards a tiny picture stuck on the inside of the flap, showing the three of them. 

Stephen was so fixated with it that he almost didn't hear Tony's admiring whistle and the kid explaining himself shyly, “As your watch around your wrist is broken, I figured that you'd like to have one which can really tell the time... I put one picture inside also, so that, you know... If you're on a mission alone some day, we'll still be with you.”

Peter was waiting nervously for Stephen's reaction. The sorcerer finally looked up and his smile lit up his face, “That's really beautiful. Thanks, kid.” 

Peter almost sighed in relief. Stephen observed the picture with a frown and he said with humour, “You could have chosen another picture though, I look terrible here.”

Peter chuckled, and Tony leant towards Stephen to see the picture. When he saw it, he said, smirking, “Well, I look great, that's the main thing.”

Stephen rolled his eyes, and before he could think about it, his tongue moved by itself, “You always look great” It just came out. 

Tony blinked, and looked at the sorcerer with big eyes. Stephen hastened to clarify, his cheeks burning, “On pictures, I mean.”

It was a miracle his voice was still solid. 

Tony must have taken pity on him, because he changed the subject, showing the gift Peter offered him with a grimace, “Kid... Can I ask why you gave me an... egg timer?” 

Indeed, Peter gave him a small bright egg timer. It seemed that Peter added some technological elements, because it didn't look like the ''normal'' egg timer you could see in store. The kid confirmed it, “That's not a simple timer, I... modified it a bit.” 

As Tony raised his eyes with a questioning gaze, Peter explained himself, “You work a lot in your lab, especially recently, and you're no longer young-”

“Nice.” Tony mumbled with irony. Peter ignored his intervention and he continued, “All this to say... You usually work too much, and it can be a problem for your health. So, this little timer is to... prevent you from working twenty hours a day...”

Stephen chuckled proudly, “I approve the gift.”

Tony rolled his eyes, but he was deep down touched to see that the kid was worried about his health, “Alright, I get it; you two just want to take my freedom away from me! I love my life.” 

He inspected the egg timer with an attentive eye, and he asked, really curious about the mysterious technology Peter added, “And how is it working? Because someone has to trigger it and program it-”

“Don't worry about it, it will work, you'll see...” Peter smiled mysteriously, “I... really modified it.”

Tony narrowed his eyes, “I'll find a way to break it, kid!”

Peter kept smiling peacefully, and he shrugged, as if to say ''try it''. 

Tony put the egg timer on the table with a discreet smile, secretly loving Peter's gift for what he represented. He decided it was his turn. 

He took the only gift he put in front of the Christmas tree, and he announced, “That's my gift for Peter.” He glanced at Stephen, “For you, Stephanie... Well...” He winked at the sorcerer with a teasing smile, “I'll give you your gift later, don't burst with impatience.”

Stephen's curiosity was piqued, but he still rolled his eyes, trying to stay aloof, “I'm dying to know...” 

Even if he sounded sarcastic, he meant it deep down. 

As Peter took the gift Tony was giving him, Stephen took the presents he bought, “Alright. Peter, that's for you.” Peter ended up with his two gifts. The sorcerer turned towards Tony, and he smiled, giving him the second gift, “And, that's for you.”

He gave Tony his present, bitting his lower lip to prevent himself from laughing. Tony opened Stephen's present and when he saw what it was, he couldn't hide his surprise, “Really, Stephanie... An anti-wrinkle potion?”

There was a short silence, and they all burst of laughing. Well, Stephen and Peter laughed at first, whereas Tony tried to stay serious, pretending to be offended, but he soon joined them, shaking his head, “First, a egg timer because ''I'm too old to work'', and now an anti-wrinkle magical potion? I'm not sure how to take that!”

When Peter managed to calm himself, he said, “We don't think you're old, just-”

Tony pointed a finger at him and interrupted him, “Don't finish that sentence, kid!”

“You're the one who said to me you wanted an anti-wrinkle potion.” Stephen calmly objected, and Tony looked at him with surprise, “You remember everything I say?”

“Photographic memory, Tony...” Stephen just said with a smug smirk.

Peter started to open his own gifts. They were two books. The kid read their title; one was ''For the terrible flirty!'' and the other one: ''Guide to understand women.''.

Peter blinked, and he ended up chuckling lightly, “OK, I think the message is pretty clear.”

The adults both frowned. They didn't seem to understand what he meant. Peter showed them the cover of his two books, and when they figured out that the two books they gave the kid had the same subject, Tony laughed, “God, Stephanie, we had the same idea, that's creepy.” 

“You didn't consult each other?” Peter asked, smiling while Tony and Stephen shook their head in the negative. They laughed, and Peter declared, “Well, I found my bedtime reading.”

///

After opening the presents and eating, the kid left the Tower. Now alone, while Tony was clearing the table, the sorcerer stood in front of the Christmas tree and he stared at it in silence. After a moment, he heard Tony approaching, and he knew the playboy was going to say a teasing comment.

“You fell in love with the Christmas tree, Stephanie?”

Bingo!

God, he knew Tony so much he was able to predict what he was gonna do. Creepy.

Stephen didn't smile, but he was not troubled by Tony's joke either. He sighed, pursing his lips, “I just... It's been a while since I last celebrated Christmas... When I was a surgeon, I was working most of the time during the Christmas period, and after...” He tried to find the best way to say the next part, “Well, let's say it's sad to celebrate Christmas alone.”

Tony came next to him, and he admitted gently, “It's been a while for me too. I spent a good night, by the way.”

Stephen finally looked at him, and he smiled softly at him, “Me too.” The sorcerer suddenly stared at Tony very seriously and he whispered softly, “Thank you, Tony.” 

The playboy just raised an eyebrow, letting his friend develop, “You know, for accepting me here, it's been two weeks already since I live in your home with you, and it's... nice.”

And god, it was indeed nice. Of course, Stephen missed Kamar-Taj and his duty. He wanted to be important again, but he knew he will soon become the next Sorcerer Supreme. He knew the problems will come again, so he was grateful to have this break. 

He got used to live in the Stark Tower with Tony, it became a pleasing routine. Every day, he knew he was not alone, he knew Tony was close, working on his lab or making coffee in the kitchen. 

He loved Tony even more for that; The playboy was not stifling. When Stephen had to stay alone, to meditate or just by choice, Tony always respected it and he was giving him his personnel space he needed. 

Stephen surprised himself to love living with Tony more and more. He surprised himself to wish it would never end. He even surprised himself one day to think it will probably hurt him to leave, when he will have to take over the reins of Kamar-Taj. 

But he forced himself not to think about that. He wanted to enjoy it as long as he still could. 

Tony didn't say anything for a while, until he admitted so softly Stephen almost didn't hear him, “It's nice for me too.”

They stayed silent for a while in front of the Christmas tree. At a moment, Stephen glanced at the anti-wrinkle potion Tony put on the table, and he pursed his lips to hide the smile struggling to appear on his face, “Tony?”

“Yeah?”

“Did you really think the anti-wrinkle potion was your ''real'' present?” 

Stephen loved the surprised expression that appeared on Tony's face, and he rolled his eyes, “C'mon, I just gave it to you for the joke; I do have some respect for you.”

Tony smiled, and there was something in his eyes, as if he was looking at the most amazing thing on Earth, “You never cease to surprise me, Stephanie...” He was suddenly rather excited, “So, what is it, then, my ''real'' present?”

Stephen couldn't help but tease him a little, “Oh, you're dying to know...”

Tony didn't hide it, “Maybe.”

“Er...” Stephen cleared his throat, knowing he was going to sound weird, “It's better if you put your Arc Reactor.”

God, Stephen was nervous, and it was stupid. He will be soon the next Sorcerer Supreme, he will soon confront multidimensional threats that could destroy Earth with a snap of their fingers, and he was nervous, anxious for giving Tony his gift. 

Tony seemed confused by the request, as he took his Arc Reactor away for the occasion, but he obeyed, “OK...” 

It took him less than one minute. He went in his bedroom to retrieve the object asked and as soon as he came back in front of Stephen, wearing his Arc Reactor on his chest, he asked impatiently, “So, what is it?”

Stephen didn't answer. He made a quick hand gesture, and a... weird thing appeared between his shaky fingers. A magical thing.

It was a white, shining object with the shape of Tony's Arc Reactor. It was even brighter, actually. Tony narrowed his eyes at it. He deduced it was something to put on his Arc Reactor, and he guessed right. 

Stephen looked at him, waiting for his permission to continue, and when Tony nodded, the sorcerer put the weird object gently on the Arc Reactor. They fit together perfectly. 

The second Stephen put it, Tony felt a pleasing warmth moving inside his body. It was just a sensation though, something that was happening just inside him, because his body didn't change physically.

This warm sensation never left. 

Tony should have been afraid, but he knew instinctively it was Stephen's magic. He didn't know how he could recognize it or even sense it, but he knew it. It even felt good, he loved that warmth. 

He frowned with curiosity and he asked while he looked at his chest, “It's beautiful, but what is it for? I'm sure it's not only to decorate me.”

Stephen smiled with gentle eyes, and he extended a hand to Tony, “Give me your hand.”

“You never answer directly, do you?” Tony muttered, but without annoyance. He let Stephen gently take his hand in his own, and suddenly, the sorcerer had a pointed needle in hand, and he jabbed dryly Tony's finger with it. 

“Ow!” Tony gasped that more because of surprise than because of pain. Of course, it was not a serious injury at all. As a little bit of blood started to run down his finger, something curious happened. 

The bright magical object on Tony's Arc Reactor started to shine more. The permanent warmth it was producing inside all the playboy's body gathered suddenly inside his arm, and Tony felt it move towards his injured finger. 

Tony just had the time to blink, and the only thing that was staying on his finger was the little trickle of blood. The injury was gone, as if nothing happened. 

Tony understood. 

This magical thing on his Arc Reactor healed his injury. 

He was too speechless to react. He was not able to form questions in his mind. As he raised his eyes full of questions, Stephen gently said, “You really thought I was going to let you fight without protection?” 

The smile playing on the doctor's lips slowly vanished, as a nervous expression appeared on his face, “I know you're not a big fan of magic, Tony, but-”

Tony interrupted him with a firm voice, even if he was still staring his healed finger with wide eyes, “But it's your magic, so it's... OK.” 

He was surprised to see that he meant it. He knew this magic inside him was not going to hurt him. Not like Wanda's magic. 

Stephen nodded, relieved to see that Tony took it well. He cleared his throat and he began his explanations, “Nobody can remove it from you, except yourself. If you don't wear your Arc Reactor, it can shape itself into a bracelet, so you can wear it all the time. It just has to stay in touch with your body, and it will heal every injury it detects, whether it is a small cut, or...” Stephen paused, “Something more serious.” 

“Is it... unlimited?”

Stephen winced with regret, “I can't say it's unlimited, but... It's quite efficient.”

Tony nodded thoughtfully, but he still had questions, “That's amazing, don't get me wrong, but if I wanna suit up-”

“I have it all planned.” Stephen clarified quickly, “You can still suit up without any problem, even with it on your Arc Reactor.” Stephen gently tapped the bright magical object covering Tony's Arc Reactor, “It won't change your suit either.”

Tony nodded, his throat suddenly too dry to speak. Actually, it really felt good to see that, with Peter and Stephen, he had people around him who really wanted to take care of him. 

“I can't imagine how much time it took you to create this.” Tony breathed, showing his gratefulness without any shame. 

Stephen shrugged, “It doesn't matter.”

“I...” Tony glanced at his Arc Reactor now completed with Stephen's magical thing, “I love it. Thank you, Stephen.” 

The sorcerer smiled almost shyly, “Merry Christmas, Tony.”

Tony suddenly smirked, and of course, he had to joke, “But I prefer the anti-wrinkle potion, it's more useful.” As Stephen chuckled and rolled his eyes, Tony announced, “I think you deserve your gift, now...”

The sorcerer smiled, and he followed Tony who went towards his lab.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> The next chapter, we'll see Tony's gift for Stephen and... more!:)
> 
> For the next chapters, we'll finally see Stephen becoming the Sorcerer Supreme and we'll see the Avengers, as Tony is trying to gather the team again. So, we'll see soon Captain America, Wanda... :)
> 
> Thanks a lot, all of you, you're amazing!
> 
> WIX2


	33. Christmas Eve Part II

“Don't touch anything, Stephanie.” 

Even if Tony winked playfully at the sorcerer behind his back, his voice was rather serious, pushing Stephen to obey. 

It was the first time that the sorcerer had entered Tony's lab. Not that he wasn't able to enter before, on the contrary, but he respected Tony's privacy. He knew that Tony needed to be alone to work properly. When he was inside his lab, he was in his cocoon.

Stephen used to believe that Tony's lab was commonplace, but he was wrong. It was really impressive. He didn't know which way to turn.

All these modern weapons, all these weirds objects nobody knew what they were for, all these complicated plans of Tony's armour displayed on screens to get it better again and again... Everything was interconnected. It was like being in a huge futuristic room. 

It showed how much Tony was talented.

Stephen chuckled and he gestured towards all the weapons around him, “It's creepy by the way; I've just realized I was living with a man who's got enough bombs to blow up his entire Tower.”

Tony smirked, “The entire city, to be exact.”

“Right...” Iron-Man didn't need to turn around to know that Stephen rolled his eyes. 

The doctor continued to follow Tony though the laboratory, but he suddenly stopped when his eyes caught a particular screen. His half smile slowly vanished from his face. He leant forward in front of it, and he squinted. 

Files dealing with each former Avengers were scrolling. The one now shown was Captain America's one, Steve Rogers. 

Tony felt he was not followed anymore. He turned around, and he understood what his friend noticed. His expression darkened a little, glancing quickly at Rogers' file, but he kept his gaze away from it. 

He rubbed the back of his head as if he was embarrassed, “I'll call him to meet him in private...”

Stephen wasn't taking his eyes off the screen while he whispered softly, “Will you tell me what happened one day?” 

Stephen knew the ''Civil War'' event broadly; he heard it from the news just like everyone else, but he truly didn't know what happened. And seeing Tony's gloomy expression while he looked at Rogers' file, the sorcerer suspected that it had been more serious than just a conflict about the Sokovia Accords between superheroes. 

It had been personal. 

“It's Christmas.” Tony evaded the issue a little more coldly than necessary. His sharp eyes were telling Stephen ''stop talking about it.''

The doctor knew it was like playing with fire, but he needed to specify, “You don't have to do this, you know: gathering the Avengers again with the former ones... I can see it's hard for you-”

“Yes I do...” Tony interrupted him firmly as he frowned, but he was softer, “It's not only about you, Earth will never be well-protected if the Avengers are still divided, so we need to... clear the air before it's too late and be ready to help each other.” 

He ignored Stephen's guilty face and he went on, “And what happened...” He shrugged, but Stephen was not stupid enough to believe in this apparent nonchalance, “It happened a long time ago.”

“It doesn't mean it's OK...” The sorcerer replied gently, “Time helps, but it doesn't make the pain disappear.”

Tony couldn't contradict him this time, “I know... But I'm the one who lectured you about the fact that the superheroes needed to team up to be stronger. What kind of guy would I be if I didn't manage to do the same because of an old conflict?”

“A man who suffered.”

Tony couldn't say a single thing for a time, Stephen's words hit the target. He cleared his throat and forced a smile on his lips, “For tonight, let's forget about our shitty life, shall we?”

Stephen teased, “You mean about your shitty life.”

Tony smiled, and the sorcerer was glad to see this reaction. It was always good to see Tony smile.

“Alright, so...” Stephen crossed his arms and leant against a wall, forcing himself to sound nonchalant, “What's the wonderful gift you concocted me? Are you going to tell me one day or...?”

Tony's amused smile turned into an impish one. He took a small tablet, and tapped a few times on the screen. Before Stephen could ask what he was doing, a mechanical sound caught his attention. He turned his head towards the sudden noise and he found himself face to face with a suit.

It was the suit built by Tony. 

Well, Stephen's new suit.

When Tony announced to him that he would make his suit after he joined the Avengers, Stephen had feared it would've been an armour, but it was not the case. It actually looked a lot like the normal sorcerer's robes, although he was certain the material was not the same and was, consequently, more solid. 

The suit was totally black. It was a shiny and an elegant black, decorated with thin, wavy lines. Some of them were navy blue, and others were white. They were both mostly level to the torso. They started at the waist, more precisely at the emplacement of the navel, and they spread towards the two shoulders. There were some down, surrounding the ankles and the calfs. 

It was quite simple, but it was splendid. 

Stephen noticed that the shoulders of the suit were weird, not as flat as the whole. He understood it was in order to produce the same shape of the human shoulders, to permit Cloak to catch hold of the sorcerer easily, despite the suit. 

This attention touched him. 

He was so focused on it that he almost flinched when Tony began his explanations, “I decided to make it simple for you, I guessed a brutish, flashy and big armour such as mine wouldn't have pleased you.” 

Stephen noticed Tony's tone was not as confident as it usually was. He sounded almost shy, fearful to disappoint. It was adorable. 

“You know me well.” Stephen ruled in Tony's favour with a proud tone. 

“So you find my armour ugly, cool...” Iron-Man pretended to be in a huff, but he was smiling a little, “Anyway, I also made sure that it looks like your old suit in the design, but I tried to make it more... dramatic.” 

Stephen raised an eyebrow. The billionaire went on with a brief laugh, “I mean... C'mon, you'll soon be the fucking Sorcerer Supreme, imagine if you were actually still wearing your awful Harry Potter's robes! The bad guys would've scorned you and they wouldn't have taken you seriously! So this suit gives you some... charisma and credibility. ”

“Thanks.” Stephen snapped. Tony's amused smile didn't falter in the least, “You're welcome, Stephanie.”

The doctor rolled his eyes, and he forced himself not to chuckle. He looked at his suit from top to bottom, and he deduced with a calm voice, “I suppose that it's resistant?”

“Sure it is.” Tony nodded firmly, “It won't break easily, trust me: it is bullet-proof, it can resist an explosion, brutal punches, knives...” 

Stephen was sure Tony could've carried on for a long time, but the billionaire chose to stop the list to continue his explanations, “I know you have magic to protect yourself, but I still fit the suit with a few gadgets of mines, I hope you don't mind...”

“As long as I don't have a helmet, it's fine...”

Tony rolled his eyes and he joked, “Of course you want to show your face...”

Stephen smirked, “You'd understand if you had a pretty face such as mine.”

Tony laughed, but he quickly became serious again, “Well, technically, I didn't put a helmet, but one will deploy itself automatically to protect your head in case you should fall and hit your head or should face an explosion.” 

Tony paused, moved towards it, and he opened a discreet flap on the right wrist of the suit. He pointed at a small black button, “That is an emergency button. If you press it-”

“It means I'm in danger and I need help, obviously.” Stephen interrupted him, but without annoyance. 

It didn't bother Tony, “Yes. When you press it, first of all, the suit will turn into a real armour, it will protect your entire body from head to toe, and it will detect your possible injuries. It will also move you away from danger if it is possible. Then, it will send a distress signal and tell your location.” 

Stephen didn't know what to say, so he let Tony continue, “I've also paired the suit with a custom AI. You can listen to it though this earpiece.” 

Instead of holding it out to Stephen, Iron-Man approached him and he moved Stephen's lock of hair behind his ear without hesitation or shame. Stephen felt his face burn because of this sudden touch. 

Tony pretended not to notice, as he put the discreet eapiece in question on the sorcerer's ear. 

Stephen pulled himself together. He smiled shyly, and Tony carried on with an assurance the sorcerer envied, “You can talk to it anytime, and you're its ''master''. It will only obey you.” 

Stephen suddenly heard a masculine voice in his ear, “Hello, Doctor Wizard.” It was not too loud. It was perfectly audible. 

Stephen sent an annoyed look at Tony because of the ridiculous name the AI used, which made Iron-Man grin. Tony didn't hear what the AI said of course, but he knew, given that he's the one who programmed it. 

“You can modify your name if you want.” Tony didn't stop smiling, “And you can choose a name for your AI.”

Stephen didn't think about it for a long time, the solution was evident in his mind. He tried to keep his voice emotionless when he told his choice, “Victor... I'd like to call it Victor.”

He was a little afraid that Tony was going to ask questions, or was going to press him for details about his deceased brother, but the billionaire seemed to understand. He knew when he had to stay quiet. He simply nodded, and he tapped the tablet twice. 

“Done.” Tony announced gently seconds later, “This AI is linked with Friday and Karen, Peter's AI, which means they can contact each other.”

Stephen smiled at him, “You've thought of everything.”

Tony shrugged with modesty, and Stephen turned his head towards the suit. He stared at it for a moment. Tony wished he could hear what the sorcerer was thinking, but he finally found out when Stephen whispered, “You're amazing, Tony.” 

This time, his voice wasn't playful or sarcastic, he was deadly serious. Tony lowered his head a little, but it didn't prevent Stephen from noticing that the billionaire blushed, for the first time since they had known each other. 

Stephen didn't comment on that, and Tony was grateful. They stayed silent for a time, until the sorcerer suddenly sighed, “It's weird... I know it's coming, and the more I think about becoming the next Sorcerer Supreme, the more...” He stopped, biting his lower lip. 

“You freak out?” Tony suggested gently, with the beginning of a sympathetic smile on his lips. 

“Yeah.” Stephen's apprehensive gaze met Tony's eyes, “What if I'm not equal to the task?”

He sounded vulnerable. Tony didn't make fun of him, but he didn't seem to share his doubts, because he replied with certaintly, “I'm sure you'll do a wonderful job.”

As the doctor didn't react and was obviously still dubious, Tony approached him and took the sorcerer's hand in his own, acting on impulse, “And you won't be alone, we'll be here; you have a genius in your team, remember that.” 

Tony winked at the end of the sentence with a grin on his lips, which made the sorcerer chuckle. Tony's words reassured Stephen more than he would have thought. He didn't move his hand away, which surprised him. He even softly squeezed it to thank him without words. 

They looked at each other for a moment, each of them lost in the eyes of the other. Tony broke the silence between them, “It's normal to be apprehensive though... They'll come soon.” 

“And I'll leave.” Stephen didn't wish to sound that saddened, but he didn't manage to control his tone this time. Leaving the Tower will hurt, he was sure of it. 

He just didn't know it was going to hurt both of them. 

It cast a chill. Tony pursed his lips, and he nodded slowly, as if it was physically painful to admit it, “Yeah, you will.”

They both didn't know what to say next. In fact, they both got used to living together, even if it had not been not for long. Knowing that it was going to end soon was depressing. 

Tony had the horrible sensation that he was close to losing another friend, and it was hard to accept. A small part of him whispered to him that it was ridiculous, that Stephen was not leaving definitively, that he will just resume his duty, but it was not enough. 

He will be alone again.

“We should...” Stephen cleared his throat, trying to sound firm, “We should go back to the kitchen now.” 

As Tony wasn't reacting, the sorcerer dropped his hand, and he took a few steps back, ready to leave the lab. 

Tony stopped thinking. Actually, the rational part of his brain yelled at him to stop, but he ignored it. Acting on impulse, he closed his hand around Stephen's wrist in an iron grip, stopping him from leaving. 

The sorcerer just had the time to frown in surprise. He was suddenly pressed against a wall. Tony had not been violent at all. In fact, he had been slow, letting Stephen plenty of time to react and get free if he wanted to, but the sorcerer didn't. 

Tony didn't know what he was doing; He just didn't want Stephen to leave, that's why he was still holding his wrist. They were close, too close. So close that Stephen could feel Tony's breath against his face. So close that he could see every details of Tony's face. God, he was even more beautiful this close... 

It reminded him what happened when they fought together at Kamar-Taj, this disturbing sensation of being unable to think about anything else but Tony in front of him. Stephen froze, and his tongue refused to move. His heart skipped beats. 

Tony was breathing heavily, as if he was out of breath, and he whispered with a rasping voice, “This is the part where you cast a spell on me if you don't like where this is going-”

Stephen finally found a way to shut Tony up for good. He cupped his face quickly with his shaky hands and he pressed his lips against Tony's.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, finally. :D
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter (and the end of this chapter^^) I'm glad I updated rather quickly! I'm actually nervous, I don't know what you will think of this, guys! :)
> 
> In the next chapter, we'll see it won't be that easy for Tony and Stephen (because they're idiots, idiots in love). Peter will have to help a little...  
> And Tony will open up about Civil War soon. ;)
> 
> We'll also see Captain America, and some of the others Avengers soon (probably Bucky, and Wanda).  
> I gotta say that it won't be a bashing, I like Captain America as well. Even if I think he made a mistake with Tony, none of them are perfect, and that's why I love these characters so much... It doesn't mean Peter and Stephen won't be a little angry at him, of course! (especially Peter) 
> 
> Thanks a lot for all your support! :)
> 
> WIX2

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not an english speaker, so if there are mistakes, I'm sorry, and just let me know. :)  
> Thanks for reading. :)
> 
> WIX2


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